Power Rangers Science Lanes
by Jetman21
Summary: Years ago, when a would-be visionary decided to take on the world he didn't the think this team would stand in his way. Empowered by their ideas, data science, and social software, and backed by a less than forthright government agency, saving the world is right in their ballpark.
1. Hey Nonny Nonny

**Hey Nonny Nonny**

Chris Scotsdale stared down at his empty glass. Here looked around at the crowd gathered around him. They were all proud in their accomplishments. They were all proud in the lives they'd made for themselves.

"What happened to you, man?" Aaron Jones asked. "I though you were going to be the best of us."

Chris couldn't help but agree with him. He stared down the bottom of his glass.

Later that night, once everyone else had gone, he knew he need to get to work. Aaron got out of his chair. The two of them made it out of the restaurant and to Chris' lab.

"This is what I've been working on since high school," he said. He projected a hologram of his ideal society. "I've always known what it'll take the make the world a better place. If I enforced those ideals onto others, it would help in the long run."

"This sounds dangerous," Aaron said.

"You've given me the push I needed," Chris said. "Eternal splendor will be mine. I'm going to save the world from itself."

...

Months later

Kari Voss looked back up, snapping back from her mind. "What?"

"Do you have a middle name?" Rosetta 'Rosette' Manders asked, as she pressed her fork against the lunch room table.

"No," Kari said, distracted by the atmosphere of the lunch room.

"Me neither," Rosette said.

Zara glanced at her watch. There was still time until class started, fifteen minutes to be exact. She still wanted to get to the classroom early.

"My watch says 12:45," Zara said. "What does yours say?"

"12:46," Kari said,

"I knew mine was slow," Zara said.

"No, it says 12:46 on yours too now, not that time has passed," Kari said. "Are you stressed?"

"I will not be late again," Zara said, picking up her books.

"Have you seen my violin?" Zach asked as he made his way to their table.

"No," Kari said.

"No," Rosette said.

"I'll check the locker room," Zach said, getting up and going to check.

Meanwhile, the two agents glanced at the people through their cameras. They then zeroed in on them.

"These four seem acceptable enough," the first one said.

The two of them looked at each other and nodded.

"Another thing," the second one said, as she pulled out a file. "We need to get someone to mentor them. I have a candidate; Jason."

"The Jason?"

"Jason Reed," she clarified.

"Acceptable, I'll call him up," the first agent said.

...

Reed looked down to the team, sitting there, on the practice mats.

"This is where you'll train, and where we'll go if we need to touch base," Reed said. "Kari, you'll be Silver Ranger. Zach, you'll be the Red Ranger. Rosette, you'll be Brown. Zara, you'll be Gold."

Morphers appeared on their wrists in flashes of light.

"Not that this isn't amazing..but if you don't mind me asking, why us?" Zara asked.

"I wasn't involved in the selection process," Reed said.

...

Reed went to go answer the phone.

"There's one more thing," the agent, now calling him from outside, told him. "You won't be working alone. Atwell will be there in a moment."

"Marnie Atwell?" Reed asked. "Okay then. Thank you for the heads up."

...

Reed walked back into the room holding a basketball. "Okay, this is an exercise that I used to do quite a bit," he said.

"Every time you catch it, say something about yourself," he added.

Reed threw the ball to Zach, who caught it. He stood up. "Okay," he said. Reed stepped away. Rosette, Zara and Kari got up.

Zach threw the ball to Kari. "What kind of things do we have to say about ourselves?" Kari asked.

"Anything personal that'll help us get to know you better," Zach said.

"My name is Kari, and I don't like this game."

Kari threw the ball to Zara.

"Being ranger makes me nervous and people could get hurt," she said.

Zara threw the ball to Rosette. "I don't know what to say, I'm a pretty open person. I've always felt bad about not being able to play a musical instrument."

Rosette threw the ball to Zach. "I've also never been able to play a musical instrument," he said.

"You have to say something original," Reed said.

"I'm a derivative person," Zach said. "Oh, that can be my thing. I'm a derivative person."

Zach threw the ball to Zara, who didn't catch it, and then pick it up. "I'm not good at sports."

Zara threw the ball back to Zach. "I am good at sports," he said.

...

Red lights protruded from the walls. One by one, they all started going off. Soon, the entire room was abuzz, the alarms only growing louder.

"Someone's attacking the city," Reed said. "Take your morphers, and say; 'Charging to Protect a Future!'"

"Charging to Protect a Future!" they all shouted, holding their arms out.

The four of them got enveloped in a power and found themselves in color coded suits.

"The enemies you'll be fighting call themselves Gel-Bats," Reed said. "They are dangerous. Given time, they will eat through your suits and absorb your power."

The four of them ran out, into the street where the Gel-Bats were attacking.

They all found they had blasters in their holsters. They fired at the Gel-Bats, beginning the cut through their formation.

Zara saw a smaller squad of Gel-Bats terrorizing a small family. She backflipped over and fired at them.

The four rangers began to spread out to make sure they were taking about all the Gel-Bats.

Zach's weapon got shot out of his hand by Gel-Bat. One Gel-Bat picked it up, and fired at Rosette. Rosette pulled out her own gun, and the two fired at each other at the same time. Rosette demorphed, her weapon knocked down. She picked it up. The Gel-Bat destroyed, Zach's weapon flew into the air. He picked it up, and demorphed.

A Gel-Bat charged at Kari, scratching her suit. She turned around a fired, knocking it down and destroying it. She looked around and saw that was the last of them.

Kari and Zara demorphed.


	2. Hey Nonny Nonny (2)

**Hey Nonny Nonny **

Chris sat by the lake, watching the water roll. He projected his hologram against it to see how his Gel-Bats were doing. He sighed.

Then, there they were in a flash of light, Steljax and Lady Vampir.

"Come to mock me?" he asked.

"We want to help you," Lady said, sitting down next to him, and wrapping her hands around him.

"You want to reshape the world," Steljax said, sitting down next to him. "We know how."

...

Marnie Elizabeth Atwell didn't believe in making large entrances. Thus, she had already set up in the back of Reed's shop, without informing him.

"Marnie?" Reed asked, as he made his way up from the basement. "How long has it been?"

"Too long," Marnie said, not taking a second to look up to him. "I am flooded with paperwork at the moment. Oh, also, you need to get the rangers to do their paperwork."

"Oh, right, the rangers, I should introduce you," Reed said.

"I'm sure they're nice kids, but I'm a bit busy at the moment," Marnie sat. "Besides, I wasn't hired to look over that aspect. We both have our respective jobs. I think that's where our priorities should be."

"Fair enough," Reed said.

...

The next day, Rosette was standing at her locker. She saw Zara and Kari at the other side of the hall, and walked to them.

"Hey," Rosette said to Kari, just as Zara was walking away. "What were you two talking about?"

"We were just rescheduling our tutoring session," Kari said.

"Tutoring?" Rosette asked.

"She needs help in math, I'm top of our class," Kari said. "I was going to help her yesterday, but, well, you know."

"Yeah, I guess that's going to happen a lot," Rosette sighed.

"Actually, Zara and I were thinking about quitting," Kari said.

"I don't know what to say," Rosette said.

"We haven't made a decision yet, though," Kari sighed. "Do you think you're going to keep going?"

'I think so," Rosette sighed, stopping for a second. "I hadn't thought about it, I wouldn't have thought we could quit."

"I think I need a second to think about it before I can talk about it," Kari sighed.

"So, you do tutoring, right?" Rosette asked. "Could you help me with that?"

"What subject do you need help in?" Kari asked.

"All ," Rosette sighed, before starting to chuckle. "What're you going to do, huh."

She got a text. "Hey, do you want to come to a party with me?"

"Huh," Kari said. "I'm not a real party person."

"I mean, you said you needed to get your mind off this whole ranger thing right?" Rosette asked.

"I'll think about it," Kari said.

...

Zach looked up at the basketball hoop, struggling for a second. He sent the ball through, then picked it up and looked up again.

Zara walked up to him.

"I thought I might find you here," she said.

"I just need a moment, to process my thoughts," Zach said. "I mean, we've got this power, this responsiblility, it's incredible."

"I'm not sure about it," Zara said. "Kari isn't either."

"You want to get replaced?" Zach asked, as he threw the ball in the hoop.

"Maybe," Zara said as he caught it, then tried to bounce it. "I mean, we got chosen out of nowhere. It doesn't matter who does it, right. I mean, say some words, hold a gun."

"Well, it's going to get harder, right?" Zach asked.

Zara tried to get the ball in the hoop. It brushed the net.

"Maybe when it does the job'll need someone who can do it better than me," Zara said. "Someone who can at least make a basket."

"If you feel that way, I guess, you should do what you want to do," Zach said. "I mean, I guess, I don't know you that well."

"I mean, we have lived next door to each other our entire lives," Zara said. "Maybe we should get to know each other better. Regardless of whether we stay together…on the team."

"I'd like that," Zach said, trying to make a basket and getting the rim.

...

Kari looked up, through the telescope.

She thought about how small the world in comparison to everything out there. She thought about how small she in comparison to the world. She thought about how she couldn't even protect herself.

"Hey," Zara said, as she made her way up the stairs to Kari. "Your aunt let me in."

"It's nice to see you," Kari said.

"Have you thought any more about it?" Zara asked.

"I'm not a fighter," Kari said. "I don't think I can save the world. I don't even think I can save myself."

"Save yourself? From what?" Zara asked.

"There was an incident back when I lived in California," Kari said. "I don't want to talk about it."

"For what it's worth, I think we did a good job," Zara said, as she sat down next to Kari.

"I mean yeah, nothing bad happened this time," Kari said. "I'm just not sure if this is what I'm supposed to do."

"I've thought a lot about it, like, destruction itself," Zara said. "And like, are monsters alive?"

"I don't think so," Kari sighed. "That's something to keep me up at night."

"I think I'm going to go," Zara said. "I'll talk to you tomorrow, okay?"

"You seem nice, Zara," Kari said."If I was going to fight evil with anybody, I'd want it to be you."


	3. The Cuckoo Mocks Married Men (1)

**The Cuckoo Mocks Married Men**

Zach looked at the basketball for a second, before throwing it back to Rosette, who was standing at the other side of the basement.

"Have you talked to Zara and Kari?" Rosette asked, before throwing the ball back to him.

"Not since yesterday," Zach said, before throwing the ball back to her. "I'll probably talk to Zara when I get back home," he added.

"Zara, Kari and I were going to a party later tonight, if you want to come," Rosetta said, throwing the ball back to him.

"I'll think about it," Zach said, catching the ball, his arm tensing for a second, dropping it.

"Are you okay?" Rosette asked, walking over to him and inspecting it, holding his arm.

"Should be fine," Zach sighed.

The two of them looked up, to see Reed and Marnie walking down the stairs.

Zach and Rosette walked up to them, Rosette letting go of Zach's hand and him putting it over Reed's shoulder.

"This is Dr. Atwell," Reed said. "Tech support."

"That will be all," Marnie said.

Reed removed Zach's hand from his shoulder and he, along with Marnie, went back upstairs.

"Bye guys!" Rosette said, somewhat enthused.

As Marnie and Reed walked up the stairs, Kari came down.

"I wanted to talk to you guys about something. I still want to help people, even if I'm not fighting," Kari said.

"That's cool of you," Zach said.

"I should start a charity," Kari said.

"For what?" Rosette asked.

She pulled out of her pockets three dice and rolled them in her hand. "For helping raise money to buy the homeless houses."

"I'm happy for you, I guess," Rosette said. "If this is what you want to do."

"I just don't think 'The Fight,' is for me," Kari sighed.

Reed walked back down the stairs. "Zach, Rosette, you have an assignment."

—

Zach and Rosette made their way to the playhouse and Zach entered one of the rooms. He looked up at the scene unfolding atop him. Two men, actors, in a scene, grappling with their doubts, then with each other, every sound or move they made echoing in the vast arena.

And then, as the play ending and the actors let themselves out from the roles, he jumped up onto the stage. There was something there.

Something else.

"It's gone," he sighed, taking a second to reflect, laying upon the vacant stage in the now vacant room.

He made his way out, seeing Rosette behind the counter.

"Anything on your end?" Zach asked.

"No," she sighed.

Suddenly, someone else came up behind them. Zara.

"What are you doing here?" Zach asked.

"I got a job here, what are you guys doing here?"

"We're investigating," Rosette said. "Well I've been, Zach's spent most of the time trying to flirt with some of the actors."

"Well, I've always admired the acting profession and their resilience and dedication."

"This is a coincidence, right?" Rosette asked.

"I'm not so sure," Zara said. "I only got this job because someone applied for me then walked up to on the street wearing sunglasses and trench coat and told me to take it."

"Maybe Reed's trying to get you back in 'the game,' as it were," Zach said.

"Okay, so tell me, what are we investigating?" Zara asked.

"Are you in?" Zach asked.

"I don't know yet, give me the details," Zara said.

"Someone, a man, summoned demons in this area, we've deduced he worked at this theatre," Zach said. "They seem to have stopped, but that might be because of class. The class demons being summoned escalated from Class 1 to Class 3 steadily. To get to Class 4, you need a rare chalice, which we're guessing he doesn't have."

"We're not sure yet, though," Rosette said.


	4. The Cuckoo Mocks Married Men (2)

**The Cuckoo Mocks Married Men**

Later, on his way out, Zach bumped into Trishia, one of his classmates.

"Hey Trish," he said.

"Hi, Zach, what are you doing here?" Trishia asked.

"I'm putting on a play here, in a week, or some such thing," Zach said, as his voice started trailing off.

"I was going to go a movie, do you wanna come with?" she asked.

"Sure," Zack said.

—

Rosette, Zara, and Kari gathered in Zara's living room."I called our school, trying to make TVF an official school club, but they said no. And now I have to join an 'actual club,' " Kari said.

"What did you choose?" Rosette asked.

"Video Game Club," Kari said. "I mean, I like video games. Anyways, we need to set this Foundation up. This will be our headquarters."

"It will?" Zara asked.

"Is that okay with you?" Kari asked.

"Sure," Zara said.

—

Trishia and Zach made their way to a small cafe just outside of town.

"My parents want me to get married," she told Zach. "And they keep trying to set me up."

"I don't understand, you aren't obligated, are you?" Zach asked. "And, and besides, we're still in high school."

"It's complicated," Trishia said. "They're really controlling, and they're afraid if I don't get married I'll be too rebellious or whatever."

"So they want us to break up?" Zach asked.

"I told them I wanted to date you, and they said yes," Trishia said."As long as we can still get married."

—

Chris paced up and down his office.

Aaron walked up the office. "I wanted to check on you, you seem really involved with your work recently."

"I have, but not this work. I've been trying to revolutionize the world, as you know."

"I cant talk to you about it," Anthony said. "I have to go, my son and I are going on a trip."

Chris stopped for a second. "You have a son?"

Aaron sighed. "Yeah, his name is Marcus, after, after your brother."

"Fitting," Chris sighed. "I like it a lot."


	5. The Cuckoo Mocks Married Men (3)

**The Cuckoo Mocks Married Men**

Zach, Kari, Zara and Rosette gathered back in Zara's living room.

"How's it going?" Rosette asked. She looked up to see Kari squeezing an ice cube.

"I'm trying to channel my anger in a less destructive way," Kari said. "This whole club thing is bringing back stressful memories."

"You had your first club meeting today, right?" Zara asked.

"The two other guys in the club don't even care about video games, or me, or each other," Kari said. "They just sit there, in silence."

"We'll join the club with you," Rosette said. "Drum up a more positive environment."

"Yeah, Zara, you're really good at getting people to do things with you," Zara said. "Almost enough to make me rejoin the team. Maybe."

"Wanna do Game Club, though?" Rosette asked.

"Sure, Game Club's cool, the fate of the world doesn't hang in the balance," Zara sighed.

"You and Zara can," Zach said. "I'm busy planning my wedding with Trishia. I told you guys about that, right?"

"You told me," Kari said.

"You told me," Rosette said.

"What's going on?" Zara asked. "Why am I always the last to know things."

"We're getting forced by her parents. And, yesterday, she decided that if this had to happen, it needed to he soon," Zach said.

"Is she onboard?" Zara asked.

"She doesn't want it to happen, but both of us have agreed not to fighting back," Zach said. "My Moms are refusing to pay, though."

"I wouldn't pay if I was in their situation," Zara said.

"I am so done with being a teenager," Zach sighed.

"Marriage isn't usually a teenage issue," Kari said.

"I just want to be thirty, and flirty, and thriving," Zach said.

"Yeah, that's definitely the funniest and most timely reference you could make," Zara said.

Zach drank coffee from a half-full coffee mug he found on the table. "This coffee is horrible, who made this?" Zach asked.

"You did, the last time you were here, a week ago," Zara said.

"My life is a mess," Zach said.

"Agreed," Zara said.

"I can't me married, I—I have so much stuff I want to do first," Zach sighed.

"How long have you and Trishia been dating?" Rosette asked.

"Since the day before yesterday," Zach sighed.

"Oh, well that's not so bad then," Zara joked. Zach chuckled.

Zach got a text. "Trishia keeps calling me. Got to go. Make sure to come to my wedding tomorrow."

"I'm glad me and my boyfriend aren't like that," Zara said.

"Boyfriend?" Rosette asked.

"Never mind," Zara sighed. "Forget I said anything. Today'a about Zach. Tommorow too."

"I guess," Kari said.

"Yeah, I mean, you guys are going to make friends, Kari you're still the new kid, everyone's going to be all over you, Rosette, everyone already loves you, and I'm just going to be stuck with him, working out his problems."

"Or his wife can work out his problems," Kari said.

"Yeah," Zara sighed. "Be funny to see how that one ends."

—

Zach ran up to Trishia on the street.

"I have to tell you something," he said.

"Is it about your investigation?" Trishia asked.

"How did you know about that?" Zach asked.

"Zara told me everything, she thought it would help," Trishia said.

"She should have ran that by me," Zach said.

"We're getting married, we should run everything by each other," Trishia said. "Zara and I came up with an idea. Invite the entire cast to the wedding. Get the demon summoning one to reveal their self."

"How?" Zach asked.

"They need another part thing, right?" Trishia asked. "What if we sell one on a website and make sure everyone in the cast sees it. The demon summoning one will make an account. We'll message them on that account. We'll tell them to leave the wedding."

"Ok, cool," Zach said.

"Was that what you wanted to talk to me about?" Trishia asked.

"Well i was going to fight your parents in them making me marry you," Zach said."But this chance is too good to pass up"

The next day, Zach, Zara, Kari and Rosette stood at the altar, at the church Trishia's parents insisted on having the wedding at.

"I think Trish is mad at me," Zach said.

"Because you said there was no way in hell you marrying her, but then changed your mind when it was useful to you?" Zara asked.

"I didn't say that, exactly," Zach said. "I'm just really stressed about this whole thing."

"Just go up there," Kari said. "I'll text mystery person when it's time."

Zach walked up the altar. The ceremony began, and Trishia walked down the aisle.

Kari texted the account wishing to purchase the chalice, and everyone else saw someone getting up to leave the church. Zach jumped up and chased after them, but before they could catch up to them, someone teleported in front of him, Steljax, machine swordsman.

Zach started fighting him, then ran away. He and the other three hid at the back of the church, transformed, and then went back out to attack Steljax, who retreated.

—

Zara, Kari, and Rosette met back up at Zara's house.

Zach walked in and sat down next to them.

"Trishia ran away from home, and she says she's moving to Wisconsin," Zach said.

"Eww," Zara said.

"I hope she's okay," Zach sighed. "What were you guys talking about?"

"I think today's Cub went well," Rosette said.

"Yeah," Zara said.

"You went to video game club?" Kari asked.

"Yeah," Rosette said. "We were wondering why you weren't there."

"I was trying to get the Foundation accepted as a club," Kari said. "I thought since they let a Video Game Club without video games fly under the radar—"

"Not anymore," Rosette said. "They got busted, so they changed it from a Video Game Club to a Food Hunger Advocacy Club."

"It was a shame because we wanted to video games," Zara said.

"But it was fun to see," Rosette said.

"Do they help the hungry get food?" Zach asked.

"No," Rosette said. "The teacher was like, you're not accomplishing anything. And they were like, most foundations don't accomplish anything if they try. And the teacher was like, keep up the good work."

"They have a point, you know," Zara said.

"Hey!" Rosette said. "I think that organizations like that can succeed if they try."

"Like the Voss Foundation will," Kari said.

"Let's toast," Zach said.

"Sure," Zara said. "I'll go get something to toast to, like a liquid drink of some kind."

—

The four of them gathered back at the theatre, to reflect.

"Are you two back on the team?" Zach asked Zara and Kari.

"I don't know yet," Zara said, "Kari?"

"There are a lot of reasons I'm hesitant about being a ranger, but a big one is fighting. Back when I lived in Cali, I got into a fight with a girl. She tried to hurt me, I wanted to hurt her back, we both succeeded," Kari sighed.

"Oh," Zara said.

"My parents thought I needed to get my head straightened, and they sent me to live here," Kari continued. "But now, I see I can fight for good, I guess. I'm going to do it, at least for now."

"Then I'll do it too," Zara said. "I don't really have anything tragic in my life like that, but I do want to help people, and if the rest of you are, I'll stand by you. I can see you're all good people."

"So are we going to catch this guy?" Kari asked. "Do we know how?"

"I was thinking maybe we could pulls some strings, put on a play, and have all the real actors watch it," Zach said. "And then we direct it at the person summoning the demons."

"Let's do it," Zach said.

—

And then, four days later, the four of them went off, to begin their production. Zach and Zara were performing. Rosette and Kari stood in the back of the room, spying on their audience.

Zach and Zara were beginning their second scene, when Zach discarded the roller skates.

"There have been grave injustices tonight!" Zach said. "Committed by you, the audience!"

The small crowd stood there, not moving, believing it was part of the act.

Zach pulled up the chalice.

"Some one in the crowd wants this," Zach said. "They go by the name evilchalicelover online!"

Rosette and Kari spotted someone reacting—it was Chris.

They ran up to him.

Chris ran up to the stage and grabbed the chalice.

"Gel-Bats!" Chris said, summoning them to attack the four and the rest of the audience. Then he escaped.

"He was behind the thefts, and the attacks as well!" Zach said.

"He's gone," Rosette noted.

The four of them got everyone else out, then transformed and defeated the Gel-Bats.

Chris ran off, to summon the demon.

"What is your name, demon?' he asked, as one appeared in front of him, dressed in red and black robes, and with a metallic, muscular body.

"Veramax," the figure said. "But I am no demon."

He lifted up Chris and began to strangle him.

...

Authors Note:

Squeezing an ice cube is something a lot of people do to stop the urge to self harm, at least on a small scale, because it is a less destructive way of working through self destructive feelings.


	6. Less Than Archangel Ruined

Hey guys! I got quite a few responses last time I posted, on reviews, PMs and emails, and I appreciate all of them, thank you.

People have expressed interest in seeing their characters represented in art. If you want to see artwork of your character, I was thinking about starting a tumblr account where I would post drawings of characters and scenes.

Also, I've been playing with the idea of adding transmedia elements to the series. This would basically consist of me making social media accounts for the characters, to help get to know them better. This wold not be necessary to your understanding of the series, just expand characterization where it already exists.

Now let's get back to the show!

* * *

><p><strong>Less Than Archangel Ruined (1)<strong>

Chris woke up, and looked around to see what remained from his fight with Veramax earlier. The pool of his blood glowed on the floor, as he stood up, to see Veramax sitting there, in front of him.

"So…you're Ant?" Chris asked. "Aren't you?"

"After you abandoned me, I was tortured and turned into this monster," Veramax said.

"I didn't abandon you, or Mom, or Dad," Chris said. "Marcus saved me, we tried to save the rest of you, and we failed."

"You brought me back on an accident, on a whim, trying to bring a demon so you can—"

"Save the world," Chris said, "from itself."

"That was what we planned to do together," Veramax said.

"When we couldn't save you we thought you guys might be dead," Chris said.

"Mom and Dad still might be," Veramax sighed.

* * *

><p>Zara made her way up the stairs to Zach's attic, winded, as she walked up to him.<p>

"How are you tired?" Zach asked. "That was two flights of stairs."

"I had to walk from my house to yours," Zara said in her defense.

"They're five feet away from each other," Zach said.

"How are you doing?" Zara asked. "You're just hanging here?"

"Yeah," Zach said. "Now that I'm a divorcee, I can have time to pursue my interests, which mostly includes just sitting here."

"Wait, I thought the wedding was cancelled?" Zara said.

"Technically we were already married," Zach said. "So we had to get unmarried."

"Well at least that's over," Zara said.

"Yeah," Zach said.

"Can I sit here with you?" Zara asked.

"Sure," Zach said.

"It's just that I started feeling sad again, and I want be close to someone and nobody was home, and you were the closest person that I knew," Zara said.

"It's okay," Zach said.

"I wanted to call Marcus but he doesn't like to listen to me," Zara sighed. "I mean, he can be sweet, when we're doing what he wants to do, but he doesn't want to listen to me."

"Why not?" Zach asked.

"Well I guess he has more important things to think about," Zara sighed.

"Well I'm here, I guess," Zach said. "Kari and Rosette are too."

"Can I call them over here?" Zara asked.

"Don't see why not," Zach sighed.

About an hour later, Zach, Zara, Kari and Rosette had gathered in Zach's attic.

"Why are we here?" Kari asked.

"Togetherness, right?" Rosette asked. "Us..being together."

"I feel weird," Kari said. "I think it's cause I got a lot of homework, then add to that the whole ranger stress thing, I've been really out of it all day. And I don't really want to go to sleep, but it's also like I'm not really awake."

"Maybe you should get coffee," Rosette said.

"Co…ffee," Kari said. "Coffee. I haven't had coffee in years. I drank a lot of coffee, and it made me aggressive, and it stunted my growth and people made fun of me for being short, which made me angry which also made me aggressive."

"I think there might be coffee in the cupboard, you can go check," Zach said.

Kari dipped down the stairs, and came back with a freshly brewed mug of coffee.

"I'm sure that I can handle it now," Kari said.

"Marcus got me to stop drinking coffee," Zara said. "It's actually a kind of funny story, I mean, well, when I think about it, do we were walking in the park, and there was a Starbucks, or some such place, and I thought - -" she was saying starting to trail off in fear nobody was listening.

"Keep going," Rosette said, looking up at her. "I'm listening."

Zara continued telling her story.

* * *

><p>Zach surveyed Reed's office for a moment, taking note of the elements inside it, the haphazardly sorted files, the broken down bobble heads on the worn down desks, the pictures hung around the walls of old friends, all accompanied by signs displaying how long they'd lived.<p>

Zara had persuaded Kari and Rosette to come in early for practice, and since Reed was already there when they arrived, they decided to go out and go to the mall or some such place in the hour before the lesson started. As he waited for them to get back, Zach went off the kitchen in the side corner of Reed's office space and made a peanut butter sandwich.

He turned around to see Marnie walking in and beginning to set up.

"Hi there," she said, somewhat nervous. "James, is it? Kevin? Brian."

"Zach," he said. "With an H."

"You're crimson, correct?" Marnie asked.

"Red, actually," Zach said.

"I've seen your suit," Marnie said. "To call it red would be an insult to red."

"Well, we need a red, right?" Zach asked.

"Well, by that logic, you'd also need a blue," Marnie said. "And I would have thought a yellow, although that now seems not to be true."

Zach walked into the basement and sat down on the mat and waited for the others to arrive.

"I'm not a crimson ranger," he sighed. "I just play one in real life."

* * *

><p>Zach looked up to see Reed as he walked in with the rest of the team. Evidently, while the four of them were a way they took Reed to get a haircut. Gone was the medium-length, organized style that had once populated his head. Instead, there was a shorter, spikier mess. But because of that one change, Zach found himself looking at Reed's face more closely.<p>

He was still composed and commanding, Zack thought, and the way he held himself remained the same, but there was an added element of mystique, of intensity. And he looked more attractive, Zach decided, very much so. Staring at him for what was supposed to be another second, he got lost in his eyes for what seemed like at least an hour.

"Let's begin training for today," Reed said. Zach nodded as he got off the floor and stood with his teammates.

After a few minutes of exercises, Reed called an end for the day, saying they were taking an excursion.

"There's a reason we're here today," Reed said as he led the team and Marnie through to the public swimming pool.

"Why?" Kari asked.

"I'll start with you," Reed said. "Crouch down, and place your hand in the water." Kari did that.

"What now?" she asked.

"Think about it," Reed said. "Think about the water, what you might want to do about it."

"Like make it colder?" Kari asked. As she started to say that, a change began to take hold, the water slowly turning to ice for a moment.

Reed got a phone call, and turned away to answer it. "Sorry, I have to take it, it's a, let's say an old friend."

"Hey, Jaser! The Jasonater!" the five onlookers heard the caller say to Reed over the phone. "Bro!"

"Maybe you should take it off speaker," Marnie said.

"It's not on speaker, he's just a really loud," Reed said. "Hey, maybe you should decrease the tempo," he said over the phone.

"Come on, what are you doing that could be important. Do you have a job? You don't have a job, you're Jason Reed. Other people have jobs. The other Jason has a job."

"I actually do have a job I need to get back to," Reed said.

"Hey, is Marnie there with you. We had a nickname for her. Did you ever hear about what we did, like, oh go, five years ago! In the banana hammock, in Florida. It was the most - - "

"I'll call you back later," Reed said, hanging up, and throwing his phone into the now slightly colder water.

"Sorry," Reed said. "He's just an old friend."

"So…" Kari said. "I can make water colder?"

"Right, yes," Reed said. "That's your power."

"Do I have powers?" Zach asked.

"Yes, you can turn invisible," Reed said. "Zara, you can too."

The two of them thought about it for a second, looking each other in the eye, as they concentrated and both ended up invisible.

* * *

><p>As soon as their session ended for the day, Zara made her way out, met by Marcus at his car. The two of them drove back to her house, and sat down on her bed.<p>

"You look so hot right now," Marcus said. "For once."

Zara sighed. "What do you want to do today?"

"What do you think we should do," he said as he got up and started surveying her room.

"Maybe we could go bowling, or feed the ducks—"

"What is this?" Marcus asked, as he looked through her closet at her clothing. "A lot of gold here now,"

"I like gold, it's a good color on me," Zara said.

"Says who?" Marcus asked.

"Me," Zara said.

"Then you're wrong," Marcus said.

"Well do I need your opinion?" Zara asked.

"For goodness sake," Marcus said. "I feel like you don't take my opinion on anything. You haven't even listened to me about what I want to do. Together."

"Well, what do you want to do?" Zara said.

"Maybe we could go to that new sandwich place," Marcus said.

"Do you want me to pay again?" Zara asked, with a sigh.

"See, this is the Zara I like," Marcus sighed. "Come on, let's go."

Zara looked down at her phone, seeing she got an alert saying a monster was attacking.

"Sorry," Zara said. "I've got to go, but I'll be right back." Zara walked out of the room and out of the house, down the the square where the attack was going down, as the other three arrive promptly, and the four of them morphed.

It was a group of Gel-Bats, accompanied by Lady V.

They cut through them quickly, Kari trying out her water control power on a Gel-Bat, trying to freeze the fluid inside of it.

Lady V vanished before the rangers could get to her, and the four of them cut through the remaining Gel-Bats fairly quickly.

* * *

><p>Zara made her way back after the battle, to see Marcus, standing on her bed, holding a pair of scissors.<p>

"What's going on?" Zara asked. She looked down around the room, to see her clothes cut up and scattered across the room.

"You're cutting my clothes?" Zara asked.

"Don't worry," Marcus said, as he put the scissors down and walked up to her, patting her on the shoulder. "Just the ones I don't like."

"Do you still want to get sandwiches?" she asked.

"I'm not hungry," Marcus said. "We should have gone earlier."

"Sorry," she sighed. "I was busy."

"Well I was busy too," Marcus responded, exasperated. "Busy being hungry!" He walked out, leaving Zara alone in her room. She started picking up her ripped gold colored clothes from the floor.

Zara called Rosette early the next morning, and she came over to her house.

"Are you okay?" Rosette asked, as the two of them went up to her room.

"Yeah," Zara said, as she sat down on her bed. "I started stitching these shirts back together."

"I don't get why you don't hate this guy," Rosette sighed.

"He has his moments," Zara said. "And he just wants the best for me."

"That's why he ripped up your stuff?" Rosette said, as she picked up one of the ripped shirts and started sewing it.

"Well, who else is going to date me?" Zara asked.

Rosette thought for a moment, not sure who would be interested. Obviously someone had to be, Zara had a lot of appeal in her eyes. Her hair, for example, Rosette thought. Maybe she could compliment one of her features, like her hair. Or her sense of humor. Or facial structure. Her resilience. Her good judgement. Rosette must have been staring at Zara for at least a minute.

"I'm sure you'll find someone," Rosette said, her glance not fading.

Zara looked up at Rosette. She wasn't sure what Rosette was thinking, but she hoped it was good.

"You're lovely," Rosette said.

"Thank you," Zara said. "Marcus thinks so too. I mean, I spent a week getting him to notice me, but once he did, it was all mutual adoration, and we've been dating for the past two months, and I mean, we fight, but all good couples argue."

"Zach thinks you're lovely, Kari thinks you're lovely, a bunch of people at school do too, and if you want I could set you up with someone," Rosette said.

Zara looked into the window, then back at Rosette. "I'll think about it," she said, staring blankly.


	7. Some Fault in Our Plans

**Some Fault in Our Plans**

"Hey Zara," Mark said, walking into the living room where Zara was reading a book.

"Hey Marcus," Zara said, putting her book down and looking up at him, while adjusting her glasses.

"I, uh, I wanted to say sorry," Mark said. "I guess I overstepped my bounds there."

"Uh, yeah," Zara said.

"Can you forgive me?" he asked, pressing his hands together.

"I guess," Zara said. "I mean, we're a team, right. The two of us."

"Yeah," Mark said.

"What are you doing?" Mark asked.

* * *

><p>The Next Day<p>

Reed looked down the team finishing up training in the basement, before making his way to his office, where Marnie was working on mixing materials together.

"What's this?" Reed asked.

"I'm experimenting with the fluid crystals," Marnie said. "For the weapons."

"Do you know why Zach isn't training with the others?" Reed asked.

"I'm having him test some of the new technology," Marnie said.

"Can you get the health files for the rangers?" Reed asked.

"I think I put the files on your desk," Marnie said.

Reed walked over to his desk to see the files. "I'll hand these over to them at my meeting to tomorrow," he said. "I'll need you to look after the practice tomorrow, while I'm out."

"That's a horrible idea," Marnie said. "Just give them a day off."

"Fine," Reed said.

The team was making their way out of the shop, Zach checking his watch to see how much time was left before school.

"One more thing," Reed said, following them out. "I have to meet up with some higher ups tomorrow, and that means I'll have to cancel our practice. Is that okay with you?"

"Sure," Kari said.

"Okay then," Reed said. "See you on Sunday." He walked back inside.

"So we have Saturday off?" Zach asked. "That means like, we have a full day to do stuff."

"Like what?" Rosette asked.

"I don't know," Zach said.

"We'll probably have homework," Zara said.

"We can do it on Sunday," Zach said as they kept walking.

"There might be a monster attack," Kari said.

"We can save their lives on Sunday," Zach said jovially. "Okay, maybe not, but as long as that doesn't happen we're good, right?"

"I guess," Zara said.

"Like I thought I'd have free time when the season ended, and then I got roped up in violin lessons I don't understand, and then this, and I do love this, but still," Zach said. "I say we don't waste it."

They arrived at the bus stop, sitting down on a bench.

"What do you want to do?" Zara asked.

"We could go to a haunted house?" Rosette suggested. "Or to the beach. I don't know, I'll think of something."

"Fine, maybe," Kari said.

"I think I might have a date with Marcus," Zara said.

"Bring him along if you want," Zach said enthusiastically.

"Fine," Zara said.

"Maybe we could, like, drive out somewhere tonight," Zach said.

"Well I have a thing for TVF tonight" Kari said, "but tomorrow, sure."

* * *

><p>Later that Day…<p>

"Kari set up something for TVF, so we're going to bring all this food to the school auditorium," Zara said, gesturing the the table of 52 sandwiches. "We're going to be giving them out to the hungry."

"Is this it?" Mark asked.

"Well, that and I baked these muffins that taste like donuts," Zara said.

"Can I have one?" Mark asked.

"They're for charity," Zara said. "For the hungry."

"I'm hungry," Mark said.

"You're always hungry," Zara sighed.

"Well it looks like you do have enough material to make another batch of muffins," Mark said. "And of sandwiches."

"Okay then," Zara said.

* * *

><p>Saturday 5:53 AM<p>

Zach reached for his cell phone on the other side of his room, finding Kari's number in his contact list, and calling her.

"What, wait, what time is it?" Kari asked.

"It's, like, 5:50 or something," Zach said.

"Why are you awake, what are you?" Kari asked.

"If we want to get to the beach before noon, we're going to want to start driving,like, now," Zach said. "I'm going to call Zara and Rosette."

"Easy tiger," Kari said. "It's only, like, 5, right? God, I've only had three hours sleep."

Before their conversation could continue, they got an alert, a monster attack, by the pier.

* * *

><p>The team ran down the street, making their way up to a humanoid, one eyed monster, who didn't seem to be attacking any people, instead drinking into the ground and pouring fluid into the holes through monstrous fourth and fifth hands.<p>

Zara shot the monster.

"What are you planning?" she asked over the sounds of drilling.

The monster did respond.

The four of them all pulled out their blasters and pointed them at the monster.

"I am creating art," the monster said in a soft gravely voice. "Once the retokatoxin makes its way into the crust of your world, it will cause the planet to release a poisonous gas. I can control the poisonous gas, and choose who it kills."

The four of them all pulled out their morphers.

"In The Lane!" they called out, transforming.

The pulled out their blasters once more, firing at the monster over and over. It didn't fight back, instead running away. Steljax teleported in the monsters' path.

"If Rentox can't finish the job, I will," Stel said, taking out two swords and fighting the Rangers with him, who tried to shoot at him and dodge his attacks.

Kari jumped at him from behind, holding her hands over his eyes and trying to tackle him to the ground. Stel pushed her away, knocking her weapon to the floor and making her demorph.

The remaining three kept going at him, Stel knocking their weapons away in one stroke.

Kari picked up the four blasters, and, still unmorphed, started firing at Stel, getting as close as she could and continuing to go at it, summoning her own energy to power the blasters. The blast of power they created knocked his sword out of his hand. He reached for it, as did the four rangers. He wrestled it off the ground, as Zachary and Zara tackled him down. Kari gave Rosette two of the blasters and they started firing at Stel together.

Stel broke away from their attack. "This isn't over," he said, before teleporting away. Rosette turned around, shooting and destroying Rentox.

Zach pulled out his morpher, placing it on the ground. "This says it's fine, the monster-Rentox-seems not to have finished the job, there's nothing toxic in the ground in this area. All clear."

"Kay then," Zara said.


	8. Folly

**Folly**

Zara made her way up to Zach's attic again, where he was working on history homework while eating cake.

"Hey Zara," Zach said. "Do you want some cake?"

"Sure," Zara said, walking up to and sitting down next to him, and grabbing a fork, taking a piece.

"What's going on?" he asked.

"Not much," she said. "I re-watched the first six Star Trek movies yesterday. Undiscovered Country is better than I remember; probably the best one."

"Better than Wrath of Khan?" Zach asked.

"I'm think so," Zara said. "I think the real question is whether or not it's better than The Voyage Home."

Zach flipped a page in his textbook.

"What are you doing?" Zara asked.

"Finding sources for my essay," Zach said. "Can you help?"

"Sure," Zara said.

He passed her his laptop, and she opened it and started typing up the introduction.

"Is Zach spelt with a H or a K?" Zara asked.

"Either way," Zach said, continuing to read. "God, I can't believe it's only Tuesday. It feels like a Thursday, at least."

"Yeah, I can't wait for the weekend," Zara said.

"Yeah, I really just want to sit here and do nothing," Zach said. "Eat cake."

"That's the dream," Zara said.

"I actually have to go right now," Zach said. "Teaching a self-defense class."

"Yeah, uh, how much does that pay?" Zara asked.

"A dollar every two hours," Zach said. "It's worth it thought. It's really rewarding."

"Go on," Zara said. "Bugger off. I'll just..stay here…and finish your cake."

"You'd better not," Zach said.

* * *

><p>"What's going on in here?" Reed asked, exasperated as he motioned through his office, organizing boxes and finding Marnie buried under a pile of paperwork. She slowly rose up.<p>

"I'm having things moved from my lab," Marnie said. "And they'll have to be here for now."

"Really?" Reed asked.

"Well my apartment is way to small to fit any of this stuff," Marnie said. "But in a few days I'll move it to a bigger lab, including the things that were already here, and then I'll be able to get out of your hair for everything except monitoring the team."

"Oh," Reed said. "Well, that's not so bad then."

Kari and Rosette walked through the door.

"Hi," Rosette said, smiling.

"What is going on here," Kari asked, tensing her face seeing she stepped in something that looked like gum. She hoped it was gum.

"Remove your shoes, Kari," Marnie said. "I think you stepped in the Exotarin."

Kari took off her shoes.

"I'll get you new ones," Marnie said. "Oh, and can you stop by Meadows Donuts, I have an associate there and I need to give him a device but I might be too busy."

"Sure!" Rosette said.

* * *

><p>Zach had led his class of eight year olds out on to the field, where he guided them through practice. Looking up, he saw a lone Gel-Bat approaching.<p>

He got into a battle stance, pulling his fists up, and kicking the monster. His students attempted to do the same. He wrestled with it for a moment before delivering the final blow, his students following after him and kicking the already defeated monster.

"Okay," he said, "good job."

* * *

><p>Kari and Rosette made their way to Meadow's Donuts, where Marnie's client was sitting at a booth, dipping a ring donut into ketchup.<p>

"Hey," Rosette said, sitting at the booth next to him. Kari followed suit, sitting across.

"You're with Atwell," he asked, before coughing into his napkin. "Do you have it?"

"Yeah," Kari said, sliding it across the table.

"You're rangers right?" he asked. "In with that crowd?"

"Yeah," Kari said.

"I was too, until I went freelance," he said. "Before I left, I hopped into the grid."

"How?" Rosette asked.

"You know how you enter the grid while you're transforming and you jump out?" he asked. "Well I stayed there for a while. Monster almost killed me but it was worth it. It completely enhanced all my senses, made me stronger, smarter. Then I gave up all my other stuff and offered to work with anyone as long as they paid enough."

"So you only protect people as a job?" Kari asked.

"Yeah, well protect or hurt people, doesn't matter who as long as I get paid, and it has to be upfront," he said. "But It allows me more time for my hobbies. And I don't have to deal with people like you."

"People like us?" Rosette asked.

"Yeah, looking at you, I can see you're, what, teen age, hipster, or at least you think you are, I can tell these things," he said. "You're still in with that crowd, so you're probably not very smart, no yeah, I think you're probably a bad student, and you seem like the kind of person to write poetry; or…songs."

"You can't talk to her like that," Kari said.

"I write poetry too, but at least it's actually good," he said. "And you, you seem sufficiently nerdy, so I think, or at least hope, for your sake, that you're smart. Your personality seems awful though, and you're tiny, small enough to step on. Someone is going to step on you eventually, it's just a fact, sorry."

"Oi!" Kari said, standing up and reaching for him, Kari stopping her.

"Bit of a temper too," he sighed.

"We'll be on our way," Rosette said, taking his box of donuts. "You don't deserve these."

"It won't change anything, you're still losers, trudging through life," he sighed.

"So are you," Kari said.

"I'm what you would call a perfectionist," he said. "Most of the time, I don't have to do anything at all. And I don't, unless I'm getting paid."

"Is many all you care about?" Rosette asked.

"Money makes the world go round, that's the only system that works," he said. "If someone paid me to take you out, I would. And could."

"Let's get out of here," Kari said.

* * *

><p>Rosette looked down at the piano, sitting down on the stool by it and playing a few notes. Zach walked into the shop to see the piano there and her next to it.<p>

"Why?" Zach asked.

"Marnie's having her stuff moved here for like a week," Kari said. "Come on, sit with me."

"I only know a few songs on the piano," Zach said as he walked up the piano. "I wanted to learn after piano fell through, and I was going to take more classes after the season ended, but then I got caught up with teaching karate and with this stuff."

"I though you said you couldn't play an instrument at all," Rosette said, smiling.

"I thought you said you couldn't," Zach said, her smile getting to him and making one of his own. "I guess we all have our secrets…quirks."

"You won't believe the guy we had to meet today," Rosette said. "He just kept insulting us. Those are his own donuts over there, there's like nine left," she said, pointing to the box.

Zach got up and grabbed one. "He dipped his in ketchup," Rosette said. Zach got ketchup out of Reed's fridge and squirted some onto the donut. "Not as bad as you'd think," he said.

Rosette chuckled.

"What did he say?" Zach asked.

Rosette sighed. "Just that Kari was short and nerdy and that I was dumb and a bad student and awful, and just, he didn't know us at all and even if he did he had no right to say that to us," she said.

"Good lord," Zach said as he took a second donut.

"He has all these superpowers and he uses them to kill anyone he's paid to kill," Rosette said. "So he might actually be a serious problem. I don't know what the deal is between him and Marnie, just that he used to work here, and there's probably a history."

"Yikes," Zach said as he took a third. "Where's Kari now?"

"She's training with Mr. Reed downstairs," Rosette said.

* * *

><p>Kari sighed and grunted as she continued working, punching the training dummy continually, with a rage she hadn't felt in a while.<p>

"I hate this," she sighed. "I hate being angry at all, I don't want to hurt anything or anyone."

"That's okay," Reed said.

"'No, I really hate it, I hate anger, I waste anger," Kari said. "I waste time…being angry. My anger is ruining my life."

"It isn't bad, and it won't destroy you if you don't let it," Reed said. "Don't fight yourself to get rid of it," he added, pointing the her heart, "Keep it here, in the heart of your heart, and use it to fight."

"I don't want to fight forever," Kari said.

Reed started walking away, before stopping. "Who wants to fight forever?" he asked.

He turned back to her and look her in the eyes, seeing she was tearing up. He walked back up to her and he held her in his arms for a moment. "If fighting really isn't for you, then don't fight. If anger isn't the emotion for you, then let it go, or find an outlet where it is. Try to be the person you want to be, but don't hate the person you are for not being her."

"I can't hate the person I am," Kari said. "I don't know who she is."

"I do," Reed said.

"Is she nice?" Kari asked.

"You'll love her," Reed said. "Go upstairs, go..talk to Rosette."

Kari picked up her bag and walked up stairs.

"Hey, do you want a donut?" Zach asked. "There's one left."

"You can take it," Kari said. "I think I'm going to go home, I have a lot of homework to do."

"Do you want to come hiking with me and my cousin tomorrow?" Rosette asked.

"Sure," she said.

"I'll text you the details," Rosette said.


	9. Reflection Time

**Authors Note:**

**I appreciate all of your comments, on reviews, PMs, tumblr and everything else.**

**BTW, if haven't seen Zach's tumblr, you are missing out on some serious quality.**

**Now, let's turn to the next chapter of Science Lanes -**

**Reflection Time**

* * *

><p>"No, yeah, those rangers, they think they're cool, but I don't think fighting those Gel-Bats is that bad, cause I saw one, and thought it was dead, I thought, I thought it was pushing up daisies, you know, gone, taken care of, but it wasn't, and I like, I got attacked, it just grabbed me and by the time it was done, it was pushing up daisies, like it should have been, so yeah, I'm, I think, just as good as them, right," Mark said to Zach, Zara and Kari, the four of them sitting at the lunch room in the minutes before class.<p>

"You're just as good as them?" Zara asked.

"Yeah," Mark said. "I know one thing I'm better at," he added, looking into Zara's eyes.

"Wait, so you, you're being, um suggestive, right now?" Zach asked.

"What?" Mark asked.

"Cause you said that and you were looking at Zara, and it was like-" he continued saying.

"I mean yeah, cause I'm her boyfriend," Mark said.

"Yeah, but, like, you were saying there was something you were better at, which means you must have had some experience, like, with all four of them," Kari said.

"I wouldn't…have to," Mark said.

"No, yeah, but like, yeah you would," Kari said.

"What she said," Zach said.

"That's what she said," Mark said.

"She said 'What she said,'?" Zach asked.

"Which she was she referring to?" Kari asked.

"Am I the she?" Zara asked.

"You're not..you're not the second she, cause Kari's the second she, right?" Zach asked.

"I think I'm the first she," Zara said.

"I just wanted to feel included," Mark said.

"Aw," Zara said.

"I'll push up your daisies," Mark said, looking into Zara's eyes.

"Excuse me?" Zach asked.

"What?" Mark asked.

"We just want to know what you meant by that because we were, once again, being suggestive," Kari said.

"And?" Mark asked.

"What were you suggesting?" Zach asked.

"I don't know, man," Mark said.

"Well, you know, maybe," Zach said, awkwardly adjusting his seating.

"I wasn't thinking," Mark said.

"Maybe you should think, that's what schools are for," Zach said.

"Well not really but yeah," Kari said.

"Yeah, not really but yeah," Zach said.

Zara looked at her watch. "Let's get to class," Zara said.

"First good idea you've had all day," Mark said.

"Huh?" Zach asked.

"What?" Zara asked.

"No, just sometimes it seems like you two really don't like each other," Zach said, now making awkward hand gestures.

"Yeah," Kari said.

"Well, we do," Zara said.

"Yeah, definitely something we talk about," Mark said.

"Huh?" Kari asked.

"Talking is important, we'd be nothing without it," Mark said.

"You," Zach said. "You two would be nothing without, I mean, yeah, I think-"

"Well, right, but, like, I mean, like, all people, right?" Mark said.

"Well not true, really," Zach said. "I guess."

"You don't like talking?" Mark asked.

"No, I like it personally just not everyone can, right," Kari said.

"Yeah, like, I had a friend, she's actually…she's actually coming to visit today. Best friend of six years. She was completely mute, completely selectively mute, I never heard her talk, except, except one, but that didn't count, she was, good listener though, or at least I thought so, turned out she was deaf too, great personality, she was a concert guitarist…or a concert violinist…maybe," Zach said.

"Yeah, I guess," Mark said.

"Just, something to consider," Zach said. "Not everyone can talk. Not everyone should talk."

"Well what do you mean by that?" Mark asked.

"Nothing," Zach said, picking up his backpack and walking away.

Mark also walked away.

"So," Kari said. "Zara, how are you doing?"

"OK, I think," Zara said.

* * *

><p>Later<p>

* * *

><p>The team arrived at the scene of the battle, finding Rentox, who was standing atop a drill.<p>

They shot at him.

"I thought we took care of this one," Zach said.

The monster summoned a group go Gel-Bats to attack them. They attempted to fight them off.

"Back then was just the beginning," Rentox said, leaping off the drill and extending his fingers out into their suits, releasing a toxin into them. "You will be the last of my victims, but I trust my compatriots to finish the job."

"Sleep," he said in a deep gravelly voice.

The four of them fell to the ground, their eyes getting heavy, their legs giving out.

The Gel-Bats crowded around the fallen ranger, tearing apart and eating their ranger suits.

"This shall be how I end my life," Rentox said as his body folded in and turned to dust. "Ending yours too," his now disembodied voice added.

The team of four found themselves in a cloudy space they assumed was a dream. Lady V walked up to them.

"This is how it ends for you," she said. "With you out of the way, we can get back to our original plans."

They tried to fight back but felt their bones betraying them, and then thoughts entering their minds asking them to give in, their entire bodies being turned against them by this dreamlike state, the voice of Lady V repeating her words over and over, and then that of Rentox.

And then in the distance, they saw Reed, and Marnie, appearing, but as enemies, turning against their students. And then the four of them looked up and realized they were fighting each other.

Rentox and Lady V's voices became louder, echoing through the space. Then the two combined, to one monstrous result. The voice was everywhere, physically and mentally, fighting them, making them fight their selves.

"No!" Rosette said.

"No!" Kari said.

"No!" Zara said.

"No!" Zach said.

Nobody heard their cries, not each other, not even their selves. Their nightmares drowned them out.

"It's not just us," Zach said. "I can see..more people, here with us..and then I can't. They're all dreaming.'

"These dreams all sound the same," Zara said.

"I don't know if you guys can hear me," Kari said. "I want you too."

"We have to keep fighting!" Rosette said.

"There is no escape," Lady V said.

"These are our dreams," one of them cried. It didn't matter which anymore. Their individuality was being drowned out.

"We have to wake up," one of them said.

"How?" another asked.

"I don't know," the first cried. "We don't know."

"Wake up!" a new voice cried.

The four of them opened their eyes. They were in laying on the ground, Reed and Marnie standing over them.

"How long were we out?" Kari asked.

"Four days," Marnie said. "Half the city was out."

"That was only a taste of her power," Reed said.

"You mean it worse?" Zach asked.

"It always does," Marnie said.

And true to form, it did. Behind the six of them laid the bones and dust of Rentox, which turned to stone, then to flesh, creating a new Rentox, one at least five times as large as the first.

The six of them turned around, to see Rentox. Marnie pulled out an earpiece.

"Send out the zords," she said through it.

Just as Rentox began to attack the city, four colossal machines rode in, in all their majesty, firing off. The first resembled a tank, the second a train, the third a warship, and the fourth a plane.

The four rangers pulled out their morphers, as Marnie handed to them four cubes with small colored statues in them.

"These are your chargers, they'll reposer your morphers, and allow you to control the zords," Marnie said. "And those are the Elemental Drivers."

"Call out 'In The Lane,' and insert these chargers, take power over the zords," Reed said.

The four of them nodded, holding up the chargers, and taking them on.

"In the Lane!" they called out.

Reed and Marnie looked up to see a group of Gel-Bats attacking on the ground, taking out people and the street. The two of them pulled out their guns and started shooting them, as the rangers took control of the Elemental Drivers to fight Rentox.

Reed and Marnie cleared through the first crowd of Gel-Bats. Marnie looked up at the battle, seeing the rangers and Rentox at a stalemate.

"You can combine the Drivers," Marnie said to them over a communicator. "Turn the lever on your cockpits that say Spirit Drive."

The four of them did as such, and suddenly tubes began connecting the drivers. Zach, Zara and Rosette went through the tubes Kari's cockpit, which transformed into a group cockpit. The four now morphed individuals took arms and became a team.

Zach's driver, the Soaring Eagle and Zara's driver, the Golden Falcon became the head and shoulders, Kari's driver, the Polaris Star becoming the torso and arms, and Rosette's driver, the Force Spider, becoming a leg.

The newly created Spirit Driver Megazord hopped up and down for a moment, before jumping up and kicking through Rentox.

Achievement Unlocked! a voice said. Another charger appeared in front of them - The Spirit in The Sky.

Kari picked it up, inserting into the space. The charger activated, releasing a wave that eliminated the rest of the Gel-Bats.

* * *

><p>Zara made her way back home to start homework, Marcus following after her and arriving in her bedroom a few minutes later.<p>

"Marcus," she said. "What are you doing here?"

"I want to talk to you," he said, walking up to her and kissing her on the forehead.

"What?" she asked, looking lovingly in his eyes.

"I can't believe I've come this far, and yet when I look into those eyes it's the only thing I can think of," Mark said. "I—I don't love you."

"What?" Zara asked.

"I don't love you," Mark said, getting up. "You're going to be gone for days, I crave companionship, I'm obviously going to cheat on you."

"What?" Zara asked.

"Exactly," Mark said.

"Do you think we should break up?" Zara asked.

"It would help," Mark said. Zara got up, walking up to him. Mark held on to her wrist for a moment, seeing her morpher slightly further up for it.

"What's this?" he asked.

"You don't need to know, we're not dating anymore," Zara said.

"It was on your wrist when we were dating," Mark said.

"What?" Zara asked. "What?"

"Is there a problem?" Mark asked. "You don't trust me?"

"You just said you weren't trustworthy," Zara said.

"I was lying," Mark said.

"That's not a thing trustworthy people do," Zara said.

Mark grabbed her and kissed her.

"I love you," she said.

"I know, right," Mark said.

"If you must know…I haven't told that many people…I'm the gold ranger," she said.

"Like…power ranger," Mark asked, turning around from her. "You're the gold power ranger?"

"Yes," Zara said.

"No, this is just an excuse, you wear all that trashy gold clothing, you want an excuse for being trashy," Mark said. "Well, try harder next time."

"I didn't think I had to try around you," Zara said. "I'm sorry, it's the truth."

"I can't except it," Mark said. "If you want to continue being my girlfriend, you'll have to quit," he added, walking back up to her and grabbing her hands.

"Let me go," Zara said.

He held tighter.

"If you love me let me go," Zara said, pulling herself off him, he struggling with her.

"I can't let go!" Mark said. "Just give up!"

"I don't want to," Zara said, pulling away, the two of them falling on her bed.

Zara started tearing up, approaching a cry, that turned into a forced chuckle. Mark got up, turning to her, and the two kissed, falling off the bed.

"Come on," Mark said.

"Get out," Zara said. "Please."

"If you insist," Mark said, walking into the door. "See, I can collaborate."

Zara started to cry.

"And just in case it wasn't clear, I'm breaking up with you."

* * *

><p>The Next Day, Early Morning<p>

"There are a lot of ways to fight," Reed said as he approached Kari, holding a long box. The two of them stood by a lake, on a field of grass. Reed opened the box to reveal a sword.

"This was one of the first weapons I learnt how to use," Reed said. "And I anted to teach you."

"Is this sword mine to keep?" Kari asked.

"Not yet," Reed said.

Kari looked down on it, admiring it for a moment.

"All right, let's begin," Reed said, pulling out a sword of his own.


	10. A Questionable Proposal

**Authors' Note**:

Zack's tumblr account, **eagle-bird**, will keep updating for the time being. I also have a blog for Trishia, **letusbedancers**, so there'll be some interaction between the two of them that I'm excited about.

There's also **sciencelane**, the out of world blog for the series, which has morphed into a general writing/PR blog, but will still feature art and writing about the characters, and maybe even previews or deleted scenes or anything like that. Let me if know if there's anything specific you want to see there, any characters you want to see drawn, etc.

* * *

><p><strong>A Questionable Proposal<strong>

"So what do you want me to do?" Mark asked Saulie as the two of them walked into the jewelry store.

"Buy the ring," she said.

"I can't," he replied. "I can't spend that much money."

"Zara's rich, and when you get married that money'll be yours and you can pay yourself back," Saulie said.

"I'm just not sure," Mark said. "I mean I can make her want to marry me, if I want, she's still really broken up about me."

"But?" Saulie asked.

"But I'm not sure I want to," he said, looking at the ring display.

"Look, it's worth it," Saulie said. "It's not like you're tying yourself down, you said you've got her wrapped around you, right, so you can just cheat on her if you want."

"Fine," Mark said. "I'll do it."

* * *

><p>Paul Saperstein paced up and down the room, waiting for the response.<p>

"Hello," Rosette said over the phone.

"Rosetta," he said. "You're friends with Zara Wallach, right?"

"Yeah," she said.

"Well, do you know Mark Matthews-Jones?" he asked.

"Yeah, they were dating, right, the two of them?" Rosette asked.

"He's going to propose to him," he said. "My sister Saulie told me about it, he talked Mark into it."

"What?" Rosette asked.

"I was talking to people about it, I wanted to talk to Zara, but I don't know her well, and I know you do," Paul said.

"I'll try to talk to her," Rosette said.

* * *

><p>Zara walked up to the dinner table to talk to her father and her aunt, pulling up a chair and sitting down, her face sunken.<p>

"Are you okay?" her father asked.

"I heard that Mark was going to propose to me," she said.

"Seriously?" he asked. "I thought you finally broke up with that kid."

"I did, but, I don't know, I'm conflicted," she said. "I've never been into someone as much as I've been into him, which—isn't saying much—but still. I guess I feel obligated."

"Never feel obligated to do anything," her aunt said. "Especially love."

"I don't want him causing any more trouble for you," her father said.

"How do you know he's going to propose?" her aunt asked.

"My friend Rosette told me," she said. "She said it had something to do with us being rich."

Her father almost choked on his drink. "We're not rich," he said.

"I know that," she sighed. "But apparently he doesn't."

* * *

><p>Rosette made her way to the house, knocking on the door, and Paul answering and leading her up to his room.<p>

"Hey," Rosette said.

"Hey," Paul said in response as they sat down on his bed. "How're you doing?"

"Good," she said. "Pirouetting through life as usual, to borrow a phrase."

"Nice to hear," Paul said.

"How are you and Pat?" Rosette asked.

"We broke up," Paul said.

"Do you know the deal with Zara?" he asked.

"I told her," Rosette sad. "Her next move is up to her."

"I've just…I've heard stories about Mark, and what he does to his girlfriends," he said.

"Yeah, he's..he's something else," Rosette said. "I hope Zara's okay."

Saul knocked on the door, then walked into the room.

"Hey," she said. "I kind of got Mark and Zara back together."

"Hopefully not," Paul said.

"Mark got in my head," Saul said. "He made me want to help him, and that was the only way I could think of."

"I don't think I'm that worried," Rosette said. "I'm sure Zara knows what she's doing."

Kari knocked on the door.

"Come in," Saulie said.

Kari walked in, sitting down next to Saul on the floor.

"What are we talking about?" Kari asked.

"Zara might be getting married," Paul said.

"Maybe we should bring Zack in," she said. "He's been married before."

"That was different, though," Rosette said. "Like, Zara and Mark aren't being forced, it's their choice."

"Oh yeah, Zack and Trishia," Paul said. "I always wanted to know what happened there."

"It's a long story," Rosette sighed.

"I'm calling Zach," Saulie said.

Fifteen minutes later, Zach knocked on the door and entered the room, sitting next to Rosette.

"I heard about Zara," Zach said. "I think…as a divorcee..I can offer a unique perspective."

"You were married for five minutes and then she ran for the hills," a voice said behind him. It was Zara.

"We still keep in touch," Zach said.

"How did it go?" Rosette asked, her hand squeezing a pillow.

"Could have gone better," Zara said. "I think it's over between us. For good."

"Well that's good," Kari said. "If that's what you want."

"I think it is," Zara said.

The six of them talked for a few more hours, before they slowly started leaving, until it was just Paul and Rosette left, sitting on opposite sides of the bed.

"What about you, are you seeing anyone?" Paul asked.

"No, not right now," Rosette said. "I don't know, but I've been thinking about romance…a lot lately, because I was trying to find someone for Zara, and then all this happened, and…I don't know. What about you, anything on the horizon?"

"I don't know," Paul said.

Rosette turned to the side. "Well…good night."

"Good night," Paul said, unmoving.


	11. Hit Me With Your Best Shot

**Hit Me With Your Best Shot**

Rosette turned to her bed, checking to see what the time was and seeing it was as good of one as any to go to sleep. She yawned, making her way to her bed. She checked her phone for a moment, seeing the had seven texts.

Just as she was about to start answering them, she got a phone call, from Saulie.

"Hey," Saulie said.

"Hi," Rosette said.

"I wanted to invite you a small party thing I'm doing, on, um, Saturday, the weekend after next," she said.

"Oh I don't think I have anything going on," Rosette said. "I'll probably be there."

"Good," Saulie said. "I think we can be really good friends."

* * *

><p>"Ah, yes, chess, a very interesting choice," Zack said. He started setting up the board. "What do you know about the history of chess?" he asked Hannah, his younger sister.<p>

"Nothing," Hannah said, hands folded. "I just need someone to practice with, for the tournament."

"I'll do more than that," he said. "I will teach you all of my best moves, and everything you need to know so you ca win every time."

"Okay…" Hannah said.

"But to understand, we first have to go back to the original chess player," Zach said.

"Why?" Hannah asked, folding her head back.

"So that we can appreciate it," Zach said. "Get Tor and Amy in here too, I want to spread my teachings to as many people as possible."

"Maybe I should practice with one of them," Hannah said.

"Our dear younger sisters don't know how to play chess yet," Zach sighed. "And neither do you, yet, really. But you can."

"Fine," Hannah sighed.

* * *

><p>Rosette made her way out of her house, and into her car. She drove for a while, finding herself approaching Kari's house, and saw Kari stepping out.<p>

"Do you want a ride?" Rosette asked.

"Sure," Kari said, stepping into the car.

Rosette continued driving, stopping at The Fair Dance Diner and stepping out of the car.

"Do you want anything?" Rosette asked.

"No thank you," Kari said.

Rosette stepped in, standing in line for what felt like an hour.

"Do you have the time?" A woman asked.

"It's 6:15 AM," she said, looking down at her watch. "You have a watch too, though, that's, that's what it says on you watch."

The woman looked down at her own watch. "I..uh..I wanted a second opinion."

Rosette looked at the woman for a moment.

"I just wanted to talk to you," she added.

"Why?" Rosette asked.

"Because I wanted to see if you remembered me," she said.

Rosette looked at her for another moment.

"Do you hate me?" she asked.

"No," Rosette said. "I just don't understand why you abandoned me."

"I didn't know where you, or your father were," she said.

"You and him never talked?" Rosette asked.

"Not after the divorce," she said. "It was too painful for both of us."

* * *

><p>"I think we should go through with this marriage," Mark said, walking up to Zara in the school halls<p>

"I'm not sure if I want to," Zara sighed. Marcus took his hands off her shoulders, standing next to her instead of in front of her, and asking again.

"I get if you don't want to," Mark said. "But I think it's the best thing for both of us."

"I want to be alone," Zara said as Mark moved in front of her. He maintained the same distance as she tried to walk away.

"You want some time to your self, yeah," Mark sighed. "It's cool, Zara, I get that."

"I just think we had a lot of problems," Zara sighed.

"I mean, yeah, Zara, we did have problems, yes," Mark said, nodding. "Everyone has problems, though."

Zara nodded. "I mean, we had our good moments."

"We had good moments, yeah," Mark said, moving to stand next to her instead of in front. "Really think about this, Zara."

* * *

><p>"Can you help me out, Zara." Mark said, meeting her in the halls again. "Please," he added.<p>

"What do you want now?" Zara asked, leaning back against the wall.

"Can I borrow a pencil Zara?" she asked.

"Sure," Zara sighed, reaching into her bag to get a pencil

She handed it to him. "Thank you Zara," Mark said.

* * *

><p>"Hey there," Mona said, dragging her tuba along as she approached Saulie. "Do you know what's going on with Mark?"<p>

"How d'you mean?" Saulie asked.

"Well was talking about marching band, saying he wanted to do, like, a mini flash mob thing to impress Zara," she told her.

"Huh, weird," Saulie said.

"I thought they broke up," Mona asked.

"He wants her back, or something," Saulie said.

"Seems a bit much, don't you think?" Mona asked. "Especially if they broke up."

"What did you say?" Saulie asked.

"No, obviously," she said. "I mean, I didn't even know what was going on..or how to respond to that."

"He's a weird one," Saulie agreed.

"Yeah," Mona said.

* * *

><p>Later…..<p>

Zara made her way into her living room, seeing Mark sitting there.

"What are you doing here?" Zara asked as she made her way up to him.

"I had a free period at the end of the day," Mark said. "I waited for you to get home."

"Why?" Zara asked.

"You left your phone here," Mark said.

"Yeah, by accident," she sighed.

"You've texted a lot of people over the past few days, she said, picking up her phone and standing up in front of her. "I thought you said you wanted to be alone."

"Let's be reasonable," Zara said.

"Hey, hey, hey, Zara," Mark said, moving to stand next to her and putting his arm over her shoulder. "I'm not the one who was lying."

"It's not like we're dating," Zara said.

"Do you want to?" Mark asked. "And before you answer, really think about what you're saying."

"I guess…kind of," Zara said.

"See," Mark said. "So you have to be honest with me."

"I didn't lie though," Zara said. "There are different kinds of being alone, and I don't want to date any of those people."

"Actions speak louder than words," he said, sitting down on her sofa. "I'm still betrayed, but I forgive you. Come on, let's watch TV."

She sat down with him.

"What're you doing tonight," he asked, turning his head up to her.

"Going to the gym," she sighed, stroking his hair.

"I fee like you're always exercising," he said. "Given that I support you with your ranger thing, and thatI've kept your secret, I think the least you can do is invest time in me, and not it."

"Fine, I guess," Zara said.

* * *

><p>Zack walked in his front door to see Hannah on the couch, sitting next to her dog, who was wearing glasses. Seeing him, she picked him up and walked over to Zack.<p>

"You found the dog?" Zack asked.

"Yeah," Hannah said. "I think he was trying to run away."

"From you?" Zack asked.

"No, he was just started by the fireworks last night," Hannah said. "Weren't you, Greensleeves?" Hannah kissed her on the nose.

"Why's she wearing glasses?" Zack asked.

"Because it's cute," Hannah said.

* * *

><p>"Do you want to order food online?" Zara asked.<p>

"Okay," Mark said.

"I'm thinking Marionis. They have great salads," Zara sighed.

"Are you sure you want a salad?" Mark asked.

Zara sighed. "They taste—"

"Maybe we should split a steak," Mark said. "What do you think, Zara?"

"I guess that's okay," Zara said.

She got a text. "Sorry," she said. "There's a monster attack."

* * *

><p>The rangers charged over to the park, where a large armed monster was punching the ground. The four of them pulled out their guns, firing at it while charging. The monster hit them, knocking Zach and Kari's guns out of their hands. Rosette picked them up, firing, Zara firing with her gun.<p>

Rosette felt her gun fall to the ground and saw the monster pick it up and shoot at her, as she shot with Zach and Kari's guns.

She charged at the monsters' stomach, getting knocked out of the way and dropping the guns.

Zach and Kari picked up their guns and shot at the monster, Zara going towards Rosette, checking to see if she was okay.

Zara and Rosette joined Zach and Kari in the charge, Rosette picking up her gun. The monster charged at them, knocking them out of the way. Rosette jumped on the monsters' back, punching her, when the monster grabbed her. The monster sighed as she threw Rosette up into the air, Rosette shooting and destroying her as she flew away.

Rosette tried to land, trying to point herself towards the ground. She just kept flying. She wondered when it was going to be over, when she could get back to the action.

She sighed, trying to get it to stop. It wasn't. And then she realized she was up, in the air, away from the city, away from the world and up into space. She started to stop, somewhere removed from the planet. An alert appeared on her screen, informing her that her suit was damaged. And that she had limited oxygen left.

Marnie appeared on a screen above her on her helmet.

"We're going to try to get the zords to bring you back down, okay," she said. "How long do you have."

"11 minutes," Rosette said.

"We'll do everything we can," Reed said, appearing next to Marnie. The screen shut off.

Rosette took a deep breath, before remembering she had limited oxygen.

"I…I am going to die," she said. She didn't really think she would. She thought she would get rescues, that they'd get to her in time. But then more time passed.

'I'm drifting,' she thought.

'I'm not even sure if you can call it drifting. I'm floating in space, no way home, no oxygen…well, that's not true I have oxygen, enough to live, enough to live for ten minutes.

Thats not enough time. That's not enough time to do anything. Even if I was on Earth, even if I wasn't alone here, that wouldn't be enough time to say goodbye to the people I love, all the people who love me, and who care. I want them to know I'm okay, but since I'm not okay I just want them to know that they're okay, and I love them and they're amazing.

I don't even know if I am alone. I can't move my head, this helmet is frozen stuck, so I can't see anything except what's ahead of me. And there's nothing ahead of me.

I guess that's consistent, huh? That's what it was like…in my life. I always wanted to live in the moment, and even if I never owned it, I always tried. I always tried to be myself, as much of myself as I could be with society telling me what I wanted me to be, and what was left of my family wanting whatever they wanted out of me, and me wanting to know about the rest of my family, what they were like.

I don't know anything. Or at least, not enough. I thought I did, I thought I knew enough, but I don't, I never had. I am not smart.

I am not bright. I am not an academic. I am not an artist. And, in a very short time, there's something else I won't be.

Alive.

What I am? I am drifting. I am everything right now because all that's around me is nothing, and I'm drifting in it, and I'm…I'm whatever comes with being alone and drifting. And I could do this on Earth. I could be alone, and drifting and dying. People choose to be alone, to drift and to kill themselves. And some people want to but they're too afraid, and I know people like that. I know both. Well..knew both.

I'm so sorry, I just wanted things to change and now they can't and I'm laying here and I' still trying to figure out what any of this is about which I can't because I'm not smart and I don't have time, and if I had people with me maybe we could or if we couldn't we could just enjoy our last moments together. Or save each other.

I never thought I would die alone. I always thought someone would be there, crying over me. I know, or I think they know, that they're going to cry but..but..I lost my train of thought there for a second. That could be the last time I ever do that.'

Rosette closed her eyes for a moment. Another alert came up on her screen, she was running out of oxygen, but her zord was flying up to her. To help her. The way she thought about it it had a 50/50 chance of getting to her in time. She didn't want to take the chance, she thought. She wanted resolution. And for a moment she though it was better to assume there was no way to get to it, and not try.

She pushed her feet, trying to drift to the flat surface atop the zord instead of aimlessly. It absorbed her, taking her in. She felt as it descended back to Earth, back to where she thought she'd land on her own.

* * *

><p>Saulie looked up, seeing Rosette approaching the school gates.<p>

"Hey," she said to her. "I heard about everything."

"What did you hear?' Rosette asked.

"Just that you got into an accident skiing," Saulie said. "Why, did something else happen?"

"No, that's it I guess," Rosette said.

"You totally should have gotten at least a day off to recover from the trauma I'm sure you're in."

"I could have if I wanted to," Rosette said. "But I thought I was doing badly enough in school without skipping a day. And after something like that happened, I just wanted things to get back to normal."

"Are you still coming to my party?" Saulie asked.

"Sure," Rosette said.

* * *

><p>Author's Note:<p>

I've been working on this one for a while. I really like where the story is going! If you want, tell me what you thought about it, what you think about the characters, plot, etc! Your opinions are valid!

If you haven't already, check out Zach's tumblr account, eagle-bird, as well as the series' tumblr official account, sciencelane.


	12. Strike Time

**Strike Time**

**Authors Note: I'm really proud of this chapter, I hope you enjoy it. I hoped to have it up earlier in the week but I needed to fine tune it first.**

**Also, if you haven't already, check out the series blog, sciencelane, and Zach's in world blog, eagle-bird.**

Saulie was standing by her locker, seeing she was getting a phone call. Mark.

She started pacing.

"Well, if it isn't the walking compass," Saulie said, still moving. "That's what they're calling you. Um, yeah, why didn't you come to school today. Is it Zara?"

As Mark continued to respond back and forth, she began pacing less, as Mike began to tell her his side of the story, to him learning how to treat relationships from his father to the string of relationships he developed, trying to find the easiest person to destroy.

"Can't you apologize to her?" Saulie asked. "Please?"

* * *

><p>Zara sat down at the steps by the entrance to the shop, Rosette arriving a few minutes later and Zara greeting her, and then resting her head on Rosette's shoulder as she sat down.<p>

"How does it feel?" Rosette asked.

"Do you remember Mark's girlfriend before me?" Zara asked.

"No," Rosette said.

"Well, she was nice, he treated her horribly," Zara said. "He wanted to cheat on her, and he did. With me."

"I thought—"

"I went along with it, I don't even know, I was so confused at the time, but he'd gotten to me, and I'd wanted to do something bad and then I fell in love with him, and he was all bad, and I thought, I could help him hurt her. And then he broke up with her, and I helped him hurt me."

"What?" Rosette asked.

"And then, when I became a ranger, I got this sense that I needed to go good instead of bad, that the course I was going down before was pointless," she continued. "But Mark wouldn't let go, and I wouldn't let go, and our relationship evolved. And sometimes it was better, and sometimes it was worse."

"And?" Rosette asked.

"And I don't know," Zara said. "I'm just really glad that that's over."

Zara Kari and Rosette made their way to the basement and sat gathered in a triangle, backs leant against the furniture, faces laced with insecurity.

"I don't want to fall in love," Zara said. "It wasn't easy for me, but I tried it, and it was hard, and I'm never doing it again."

"I thought you two got back together?" Kari said.

"We did. But then I realized we should't have, and broke it off for good," Zara said.

"So, are you're aromatic?" Kari asked.

"Grey-romantic, I think," Zara said.

"Hey," Zach said as he entered the door and set his coat down. "Did you hear what happened over the weekend?"

"No," Zara said. "Why?"

"A few days ago, a bunch of us were playing a game of basketball, and I was on one team, and Mark, Mark was on another. And I was anxious, because of the history between Mark and Zara. Zara, Zara wasn't there but she was there in spirit. And Mark seemed really upset more upset than I though, which is good, I guess, because Mark is a tosser, and we were there, sprinting and up down the court, and Mark just got confused and emotional and started running in every direction. And so we started making fun of him, calling him the human compass, because he was bad at directions, and compasses aren't….usually," Zach said.

"Oh," Zara said.

"You two broke up, right?" Zach asked.

"Yeah," Zara said.

"Well, we're here," Rosette said. "For you.."

Reed entered and led them outside to a field.

"For today's exercise, we'll be running up and down this track," Reed said.

"Clockwise or counterclockwise?" Zach asked.

"Neither, you just run up the track from the start line to the finish line, and then walk back," Reed said, making hand gestures at the track.

"But if it was on a clock, what direction would the line be?" Zach asked.

"I don't know, you'd just put a line on a clock I guess," Reed said.

"Can I see you draw the path of the track onto the clock, just so that there's no confusion?" Zach asked.

"I don't have a clock," Reed said.

"You have a watch," Zach pointed out.

"Zach, be nice," Kari said.

"He can take it," Zach said. He looked up at Reed for a moment, then down at Kari, Rosette and Zara. Zara looked at him, and nodded.

* * *

><p><strong>The Next Day…<strong>

* * *

><p>"Are you okay?" Zach asked Zara, seeing the nervous movements of her face as she skipped nervously around the shop room, and hearing her heavy breathing.<p>

"I'm just worried," she said.

"Why?" Zach asked.

"I'm getting a C in Spanish," Zara said.

"Well I can help you study," Zach said.

"What grade are you getting?" Zara asked.

"I'm getting a D," Zach said.

Reed, Marnie, Kari and Rosette entered within, the next strip of moments, Marnie quickly disappearing the part of Reed's office identified as her laboratory.

"How're you guys doing?" Kari asked.

"We were just talking about Spanish," Zach said.

"Apparently I'm getting a C this term," Zara sighed.

"Well I'm getting a D- every term," Rosette said.

"I was stationed in Spain for a few years, and I became quite fluent in the language," Reed said. "Maybe I could help you."

"What about training?" Zach asked.

"This is important," Reed said. "When I was hired I was told I needed for the rangers, you guys, to keep your grades up, and get at least C's."

"Well I'm getting a C," Zara said.

"Well you need to get at least a B," he said, pointing at her. He ran to his office, and came out a few moments later with text books and flashcards, which he started handing out before pulling out a whiteboard and writing out a lesson plan.

He turned to Kari. "What grade are you getting in this class?"

"An A," Kari said.

"Can you help me out here?" he asked.

"Sure," she said.

"Here we go," he said.

"How are you feeling about it now?" Reed asked as he stepped away from the board.

"Better," Zara said, getting up to leave, Rosette going up to talk to her.

"How about you?" Reed asked.

"Better, yeah," Zach said.

"How many languages do you speak?" Reed asked.

"English, some Ukrainian, some Polish," he said. "And I'm starting to pick up American Sign Language."

"I have to go," Kari said. "I need to raise money for TVF."

"I wouldn't want this affecting your training," Reed said.

"Should I stay?" Kari asked.

"How much money do you need?" Reed asked.

"200 dollars," Kari said.

"I'll give you the money," he said.

"So where do you see TVF going?" Reed asked.

"I don't know yet," Kari said. "I started it because I wanted to feel less guilty about quitting, but I didn't quit so I don't know. But it might be good to keep around, and, like, make it my career eventually."

"Well, just remember whatever you do, make it something you love," Reed said. "You know the old saying, if you love your work and you do good work, you never work a day in your live."

"Yeah," Zach said. "It's like my grandmother, right. She's retired, but she used to be a forklift operator. And this one time, the forklift fell over and almost crushed her legs. And she said that she'd better retire. And I said, I was there, by the way, it was take your grandchild to work day, and I said you should be proud of the work you did, because she should be, she worked for so many years…operating forklifts, and she pulled me up and she said, sonny, I've never worked a day in my life. So yeah, it's an important lesson yeah."

"Do you have a future plan, Zach?" Kari asked.

"Yeah, I think I'm going to be a musician," Zach, "And I can play Wonderwall on the guitar so..yeah."

The alarm began to ring. The Rangers looked at each other, then nodded.

"Where's attack?" Kari asked.

"The Warehouse At The Edge Of The Town," Reed said.

The Rangers morphed and arrived there, Zach pulling out his gun. They entered to see a group of Gel-Bats, holding Saulie prisoner.

"Let her go!" Rosette shouted out, shooting the Gel-Bats and then running up to Saulie to untie her. The 3 other Rangers kept shooting at the remaining Gel-Bats, the Gel-Bats getting some strikes in and demorphing the four of them, but being destroyed quickly.

"Do you know why they were going after you?" Zara asked.

"No," Saulie said, still holding onto to Rosette. "Mark was talking to me, trying to defend his actions when it came to you, and then they started attacking him, but he got away so they took me instead. But I don't even get why they went after him."

"Has he talked to you about his father at all?" Zach asked.

"No, why?" Saulie asked.

"Mark's dad was friends with Chris Scotsdale, the guy who started all this," Rosette said. "He was one of his motivators for starting the attacks, trying to change the world."

"Trying to save it," they heard a voice say. Chris.

Chris appeared in front of them, Steljax, Lady Vampir and Veramax hanging alongside him.

"And we will," Chris said. "The ends justify the means. We'll leave you be for now, but be aware of this. We're closer than ever to figuring out your weaknesses. And once we do, it's the end for you. And please, take note, we have nothing against you personally but you uphold the old order, and we want a new one."

"I agree, this country, this planet, needs to change, and the people in power are a threat, and maybe, probably, we need to be violent, but there's a better way to go about it," Kari said. "We just want people to be safe. You don't care who you hurt as long as you get what you want, and what you want is to be in power yourself."

"Simmer down, shorty," Chris said.

Kari felt a twinge of anger, as she pulled out her morpher. "It's time to end you."

Steljax ran at them, hitting the five teenagers with his sword, before returning to position in a super fast flash. The five of them fell down to the floor, starting to bleed.

"No, it's time for us to begin," Chris said, he and his team teleporting away.

"Are you okay," Rosette asked Saulie as she helped her up.

"I think so," Saulie said, hugging Rosette.

"Remember, you can't tell anyone about what you know," Zara said.

"Okay, I promise," Saulie said.

"What now?" Kari asked.

"We'll figure it out," Zara said.


	13. Poise and Rationality

**Poise and Rationality**

* * *

><p><strong>Authors' Note: <strong>

**Hope you enjoy the chapter! ****I was curious what you guys wanted to see more of in this story. I have a plan for where's it going, but if you have any suggestions you can leave them in the comment box!**

**Zach's tumblr: eagle-bird**

**Series tumblr: sciencelane**

**Review, subscribe, or whatever else you want!**

* * *

><p>"I get it now," Kari sighed, as she kept punching the bag. Since getting into the swing of becoming a ranger, she felt like she understood her emotions better, and as she practiced getting her anger out, she reflected on the good and bad it could and would do her. She'd mostly decided not to try and change that part of herself too much.<p>

Meanwhile, Chris was training too.

"I'm so close," Chris said, pulling his hands into the air, his mind distracted by the picture on the bedside table for a moment. He continued the task, lifting the weight above him and slowly bringing his arms back.

"What are you doing?" Lady Vampir asked, making her way into the room as he was concluding, resting the bar weight on his chest. "Where you talking to yourself again?"

"No, I was talking to that picture," Chris said.

Lady looked at the picture for a moment, two similar looking children doing a science experiment in the backyard.

"Was this you and Ant as children," she asked picking up the picture. Chris tried to move, but noticed the weight stuck on his chest, him not strong enough to lift it up again.

Lady walked through the halls and to the kitchen were Veramax and Steljax were arm wrestling.

"Hey Stel, here's a picture of Scotsdale and Veramax as children," she said. He walked over to see it, the two of them laughing.

Veramax backed away slowly, opening up a secret compartment, one of his many hidden around the base. He pulled out his blue machine gun, one of his favorites, and started shooting the picture out of their hands.

"I don't like to be made fun of," he said, before teleporting away.

Steljax and Lady Vampir continued to laugh.

* * *

><p>"Hey," Zach said as he passed Zara, Kari and Rosette in the halls.<p>

"Hi Zack," Rosette said.

"I hope you're having a great day," he said, reaching into his backpack. "Here's half a small bag of pretzels, so you can divide that amongst yourselves. I have to go to class in a few minutes, but I once again wish you a good day."

"Are you okay?" Kari asked.

"Yeah, I'm just in a good mood. I was talking to Trishia and she's coming back next week," Zach said.

"Really?" Kari asked.

"Yeah, but only for one night," Zach said. "Oh, and Zara, are you still coming to me ballroom dancing class."

"Sure," Zara said.

"You teach ballroom dancing?" Rosette asked.

"Yeah, I thought it might be good to branch out as it were," Zach said.

* * *

><p>"I've been thinking," Chris announced, his three associates not paying attention.<p>

"When," he said, with a cough, as he tapped on a glass. "I would like your attention please."

They slowly turned, to see what he was talking about.

"Thank you," Chris said, setting the glass down.

"What's going on?" Veramax asked. Chris was about to speak when the alarm started ringing.

"What's going on?" Lady Vampir asked.

Chris went over to see what was causing the alarms. "it's nothing," he said. "The alarm system's broken."

"I'll call someone in to fix it," Lady Vampir said, walking over to get her phone.

"I have something to say," Chris said.

"It can wait a second," Lady Vampir said, continuing with her phone conversation.

"We need to buy groceries," Veramax said.

"What do we need?" Steljax asked. "I'll make a list."

"Can you do this later please," Chris said. "I have an announcement to make."

"I'm still on the phone," Lady V said.

"It's just I swear sometimes it's like you don't even pay attention to me," Chris said.

"They can't send someone in until next Tuesday?" Lady V said before letting out a sigh as she got up and started pacing.

"When you say next Tuesday do you mean this coming Tuesday?" Chris asked.

"The one after that," she said.

"We have guns in the sky, threaten them," he said.

"Okay," she said, sitting back down on the couch, legs in the air.

"Okay," Chris sighed. The alarm went off again.

"Aren't you going to check it?" Veramax asked.

"It's probably nothing," Chris sighed.

"But what if it isn't?" Steljax asked.

Chris went over to check. It was nothing.

"I can't put up with this for another two weeks," Chris sighed.

"I got them to move it down to one week," Lady V said.

"Well at least that's something," he said.

"So what do you have to tell us?" Veramax asked.

"I forgot," Chris sighed.

* * *

><p>Mona was walking out of the music room, checking her phone, when Zach walked up to her.<p>

"Hi Mona," he said, handing her a potted plant.

"Hi," she said.

"This is the plant you let me borrow a few months ago," Zach said. "I've been meaning to give it back."

* * *

><p>Lady Vampir and Veramax paced up and down the area, navigating the space in an attempt to find some sort of inspiration.<p>

"I mean obviously doing what we're doing isn't working," Lady Vampir said, her voice getting shakier.

"What if we use mind control, and get someone close to one of them to kill them!" Veramax said. "It'll mess with the rest of them! And then we can take them out too!"

"Wow..you are..really enthusiastic about killing these people," Lady Vampir said.

"My dream since I was five years old was world domination," Veramax said. "Because with world domination comes world peace. And with murder…comes world domination!"

"You're very passionate," Lady Vampir said.

"The passion has been building inside of my since I was a child and I was taken from this world," he sighed. "I won't let it slip through my fingers again."

* * *

><p>Saulie sighed, feeling voices all around her, like they were going to suffocate her. And then she knew she had a mission.<p>

She looked down at her hands, a crystal dagger materializing in them. She sighed, as she placed it in her bag and walked over to the shop. She looked through the window to Rosette there, doing paperwork. Saulie looked back down at the dagger, then at Rosette.

Lady Vampir and Veramax teleport behind her.

"Is there a problem?" Veramax asked.

"I can't kill Rosette," Saulie said.

"I thought you said you were mind controlling her," Lady Vampir said.

"It's more like, mental suggestion," Veramax said.

"Well, suggest harder," Lady V said, exasperated.

Veramax reached out to Saulie, holding her face and taking a stronger hold on their mind. Saulie walked into the shop, holding the dagger behind her back as she walked up to Rosette.

"Hi Saulie," Rosette said. "Are you okay?"

"You won't be," Saulie said, facing Rosette as she walked around her, not looking at where she was going.

"Why not?" Rosette asked.

"Because I—" Saulie started to say as she bumped into a coat rack, walking into the items and knocking it and all the items on a nearby desk over.

Rosette walked over to Saulie and started helping her pick everything up. Saulie picked up the nice, thinking this was her best shot. She looked into Rosette's eyes as she helped her pick up books from the floor.

Veramax and Lady Vampir walked back into the shop.

"I thought you were going to kill her," Veramax said.

"What's going on," Rosette asked.

"They tried, and failed, to mind control me to kill you," Saulie said.

"He tried and failed," Lady V said, walking out the door. "Don't pin this on me."

"I'd better go talk to her," Veramax said, walking out the door.

The two of them teleported away.

"So what's going on?" Rosette asked.

Veramax and Lady Vampir teleported back outside and walked into the door.

"We decided we're going to kill you two ourselves," Lady V said. Rosette summoned a set of daggers and tried to fight the two off, putting up a fight for a while. Veramax pulled out a gun and shot her, missing slightly.

"Can't you do anything right," Lady V muttered.

She shot webs out of her daggers, before pulling out her morpher and transforming, wrestling Veramax.

Veramax pulled his gun out and shot her a few more times. Rosette kept shooting him with her daggers.

Veramax dropped his guns, catching her webs in his hands and turning them into energy, creating an energy ball he shot back at her.

Veramax and Lady Vampir teleported away.

"Are you okay?" Saulie asked.

"Yeah," Rosette said, walking up to Saulie. "Are you okay?" she asked.

"Yeah," Saulie said. "I am now."

* * *

><p>"Are you okay?" Veramax asked. "I'm worried you hate me now or something."<p>

"I don't hate you," Lady V said. "I mean it could have gone smoother."

"Next time, you have to think of the idea," he said.

"Why, because it'll actually work?" she joked.


	14. Housekeeping

**'Housekeeping'**

* * *

><p><strong>Authors Note:<strong>

**I added a new drawing of some of the main characters to the tumblr sciencelane. I'm also taking requests, so if you want to see something more specific, let me know!**

**Also, check out Zach's inworld account, eagle-bird.**

* * *

><p>"What's this?" Saulie asked, pointing to the desk.<p>

"That's a morpher," Rosette said. "That's a regular one," Rosette added before turning to the other side of the room, gesturing towards the experimental side.

"And that's a power up morpher," Rosette said. "Stronger armor, more power enhancements, and," Rosette said as she pointed to her head. "Mental protection. So we won't get mind controlled."

Marnie walked in through the back entrance, and started working on her instruments.

"What are you working on?" Saulie asked, walking over.

"The Planet Piercer Needle," Marnie said.

"A new ranger weapon?" Rosette asked, walking up to Marnie, Saulie walking alongside her.

"Well, I'm making it for you, but it's not connected to the Morphin Grid because that would make it too powerful," Marnie said. "We wouldn't want to explode the universe."

Saulie looked to Rosette. "I could explode your universe," she said, jokingly suggestive, looking into Rosette's eyes, and winking.

"Screw you," Rosette chuckled.

Saulie winked again.

"What are you doing?" Rosette asked, still laughing.

Saulie kept winking.

"Why are you winking?" Rosette asked. "Stop winking, you are ruining winking for me."

"Do you mind taking your conversation elsewhere?" Marnie asked.

"Sorry," Rosette said, walking out of the room.

Saulie looked down at her phone. "Hey, could you give me a ride to my audition?" Saulie asked.

Rosette turned her head to Saulie, winking. Saulie followed her out.

* * *

><p>"It's time," Chris said, moving towards the center of the room, as Steljax, Veramax and Lady V stood in anticipation. He opened the box.<p>

"Monopoly time," he added.

"I thought we were having a strategy meeting," Veramax said.

"Do you want to have a strategy meeting?" Chris asked.

"No," he said.

"Good," Chris said.

"Why are we playing Monopoly?" Lady V asked.

"Whenever I try to do anything serious you guys roll your eyes and then go back to drinking water or whatever it is you do," Chris sighed.

"Well do you want me to stay hydrated or not?" Lady V asked.

"Yes, I guess," Chris said. "Wait, aren't you a vampire?"

"Do you want me to drink your blood?" Lady V asked.

"No," Chris said. "No, I guess not."

The four of them sat down to play.

"Everyone pick a piece," Chris said.

"I want to be the sword," Stel said.

"The sword?" Chris asked.

"One of the pieces is a sword, right?" Stel asked.

"I don't know," Chris said. "I don't think so."

"I wouldn't know," Veramax sighed. "Haven't played in 20 years."

"I am the greatest swordsman in the world," Stel said. "I can't win without one."

"Well, it pays to be versatile," Veramax reminded him.

"It won't matter, I'm going to win," Chris said. "I always win."

"I usually don't win," Lady V sighed. "But I usually don't lose either, so—"

"When you play a game of Monopoly, you win or you die, there is no middle ground," Chris said.

"I can't die, I'm a vampire," Lady V said.

"You're not a vampire in the game," Chris said.

"Why the hell not?" Lady V asked.

"Can we just get on with the game please?" Veramax asked.

"Hang on a sec, I need to get water," Lady V said.

* * *

><p>"So just to be clear, who are we going to blame once this is all over?" Rosette asked, as she continued pushing the car up the hill.<p>

"Well, you were the one driving," Saulie said pushing alongside her.

"Fair enough," Rosette said.

"I probably would have got the part," Saulie said. "If I'd gotten there on time."

"Yeah," Rosette said, stopping for a second. "You were relatively good," she sighed.

"What does that mean?" Saulie asked.

"I mean, you were the best actor there but the bar was set pretty low," Rosette said.

"I guess, yeah," Saulie sighed, checking to see if the car was stable. "So where do we push now?"

Rosette bent down for a moment to inspect it, falling over the hill.

"Are you okay?" Saulie asked, starting to walk down the hill to her and tripping herself. The two continued rolling, catching each other and looking into each others' eyes.

"I've got you," Saulie said, helping Rosette up.

* * *

><p>"Hi," Zara said, sorting through files as Rosette walked into the shop.<p>

"Hi," Rosette said.

"I think I do," she sighed, inspecting the files.

"What?" Rosette asked.

"Oh sorry, I was in the middle of a conversation with myself when you came in," Zara said.

"Okay then, I guess I'll leave you alone..then," Rosette said.

"Actually maybe you could help us, me, I meant me," Zara said.

"How?" Rosette asked.

"Shut the door first, I don't want anybody listening," Zara said.

"Are you okay?" Rosette asked, shutting the door.

"I kind of miss my relationship with Mark," Zara said.

"After what he did to you?" Rosette asked.

"You have no idea how good our relationship was before this whole saving the world thing got in the way," Zara said.

—

2 months earlier…

Zara was standing by her locker, looking at her phone.

Mark walked by her.

"Uh…hey Marcus," she said.

"Sup," he said, walking away.

"Real smooth," Zara sighed.

—

"I still don't like him, or being in a relationship, and I don't want to be in a relationship with him, It's just the memories, of the one we had, it's not all bad," she sighed.

"I know how you feel," Rosette said. "I think..I might."

"I think I'll be fine," Zara sighed.

"Actually, do you have any advice?" Rosette asked.

"About what?" Zara asked.

"What went wrong in your relationship, exactly?" Rosette asked.

"Why do you want to know?" Zara asked.

"I've been thinking about asking Saulie out on a date," Rosette said. "I don't want to mess up."

"Well how's your relationship with her right now?" Zara asked.

"Good," Rosette said. "We're pretty good friends."

—

2 days earlier…

Rosette was standing by her locker, looking at her phone when Saulie walked past her.

"Hi," Saulie said, walking past her.

"Uh…hey… Saulie," Rosette said as Saulie walked away.

"Real smooth," Rosette sighed.

—

"Well, you're not Mark," Zara said. "You're not going to emotionally manipulate Saulie."

"Okay then," Rosette said, standing up. "And another thing," she said, sitting down. "What went right in your relationship?"

"I'm sure you'll be fine," Zara said. "The high points of a relationship depend on the people. As long as you don't hurt each other, which you won't, you'll be fine."


	15. Like Minds

**Like Minds**

Veramax and Lady V looked through Chris's notes, thinking. "I think we should go after this Zara chick," Lady V said.

"Zara Wallach," Veramax sighed, looking at her file. "What's her story?"

"I dunno," Lady V said. "But she doesn't seem like she has a lot of upper body strength."

"I guess," Veramax said. "She looks kind of emo."

"Let's go," Lady V said.

"Can we get something to eat first?" Veramax asked.

"Fine," she said, walking towards the door. "You can pick."

"I picked last time," he said, as he followed her out the door.

"Wait," she said. "I should probably get a coat." She walked back into the base.

She went to her closet to get her coat, bumping into Chris on her way to the door.

"Going out with my brother again?" he asked.

"At least we're actually accomplishing something," she said, stepping out the door.

"It's so cold outside right now," Veramax asked.

"Yeah," Lady V sighed.

"Hey, I've been meaning to ask, what's the situation with global warming?" he asked.

"Oh, it's like, horrible, or something," she said.

"We should probably do something about that," Veramax said.

"Yeah probably," Lady V sighed.

"You know, there's a lot of stuff we need to take about for once we're done," he added.

"Do you want to hold off on doing anything else until then?" she asked.

"It'd probably be for the best."

* * *

><p>"Are you still dating Vacha?" Kari asked Zach.<p>

"No," Zach said. "I mean, he was kind of nice. Well, he got annoying after a while. And, it was like, every time he talked, he just kept talking for the next fifteen minutes, and you just had to sit and wait to get a word in, and, oh my gosh, is that what it's like when I talk?" Zach asked.

"Yes and no," Zara said.

The three of them continued walking down the street.

Zara stopped for a moment, Kari stopping with her.

"How do you feel?" Zara asked.

"Weird," Kari asked.

"You thought you'd resolved it internally but the thoughts are coming back," Zara said. "You got hurt, so you wanted someone else to be hurt, and you want to bring it up again so you can be forgiven, at least by someone, but at the same time you want to move on past it all forever."

"How did you know?" Kari asked.

"I was talking to myself," Zara said.

"Oh," Kari said.

"You're forgiven," Zara said.

"You too," Kari said.

Zara sighed.

"You know," Kari said. "There are actual people out their whose forgiveness means something. Yet it feels better coming from you and I didn't even have to hurt you to get there."

"Nobody should hurt the people they love," Zara said.

"Who said anything about love?" Kari asked.

Rosette walked up to them.

"How are you?" she asked.

"Like evil shadows are hanging over me like old coats, and fingering my small intestine," Kari said.

"Well that isn't pleasant," Rosette said. "Let's do something fun."

"Zach!" Zara called out. "The four of us are going to go do something!"

"Like what?" Zach asked, shouting to them from the other side of the road.

"Don't know yet!" Zara said.

* * *

><p>"I got community service," Chris said. "I'm litter picking tomorrow."<p>

"Why?" Lady V asked.

"That doesn't matter," Chris said. "What's important is that I'll be with a group of other people. People who also commented minor offenses, united by a common punishment."

"Wait, is this about the attacks?" Veramax asked.

"No, if they caught me for that they'd give me a punishment that matters," Chris said. "But look, with these other people, I can spread the word. I can recruit followers."

"I don't want more people here," Lady V said. "Especially more human people. You're the only human person I tolerate."

"What about my brother?" Chris sighed.

"I had my humanity stripped from me for twenty years," Veramax sighed. "Like a cool person."

"And I gave up my humanity," Stel said. "The sword is my soul now."

"And your sword a soul as well," Lady V said. "A decent one at least, but nevertheless, it's part of you. I can put up with it, but the three of you have combined have enough human in you that adding anymore to this force will compromise not only it but me myself."

"Well then how are we going to take over the world?" Chris asked.

"Well do we have to?" Stel asked. "I mean, we're doing okay."

"I want the world to be at least as okay as we are now," Chris said.

"But it's a world of humans," Lady V said. "They don't deserve relative comfort."

"Maybe I should fire you and round them up then," Chris said.

**—**

**Later**

**—**

Lady V and Veramax walked up to Chris, who was sitting at the steps, glancing at his hands.

"Nobody wanted to join me," he sighed.

"Hey," Lady V said. "We just want you to know, your opinions are valid. Even if it might not seem like it."

"Why wouldn't it seem like it?" Chris asked.

"Because all of your opinions suck," Veramax said.

"What he said," Lady V said.

"But we love you for it," Veramax said. "And the world will too."

* * *

><p>The rangers received and alert, a troop of Gel-Bats were attacking in the park. They morphed and ran over, pulling out their guns to cut through the Gel-Bats, saving the passers by.<p>

"That wasn't a lot," Kari noted.

"Maybe it means something," Zara said.

"Maybe they're planning something," Rosette said. "Now, come on, the day is still young, let's have fun."

* * *

><p>Zara was leading the rest of the team as they did yoga exercises.<p>

"How are things going with Saulie?" Kari asked Rosette.

"Okay," Rosette said. "She might have plans, but if she doesn't we have a date on friday."

Kari stretched, pulling something in her arm. "I think I need to lie down," she said, going to her bag and taking out a bottle of vitamin water, taking a sip before sitting down under a tree.

"Let's take a break," Rosette said.

A group of Gel-Bats came out from behind the Gel-Bats. The rangers morphed discreetly before beginning to take care of them.

"They're a bit tougher than usual," Zara said.

"Let's use the power up," Zack said. They activated the power up, the Mega Voltage Mode. They felt a surge of power, their suits gaining strength. They cleared through them.

"Hey, do you want to play basketball?" Zach asked, turning towards his teammates. Rosette and Kari walked up to him, Zara sitting against a tree.

"What are you doing?" Kari asked.

"Writing a letter to the school about Mark, trying to get him kicked out," Zara said. "I've been putting it off for the longest time."

She sighed as she continued writing. "Play without me."

"Okay," Zach said. "Me against you two."

The three of them started, Zara continuing to write her letter.


	16. Sword and Sensibility

**Sword and Sensibility**

Zara, Kari and Rosette were sitting in Zara's living room.

"What are you working on?" Zara asked, as she saw Kari working on a computer.

"There's a TVF fundraiser tonight," Kari said. "I'm working on the layout of the space."

"Why wasn't I invited?" Zara asked.

"I assumed you'd be busy," Kari said.

"Yeah, but I still want to help," Zara asked. "Can I donate, or something."

"How much money do you have?" Kari asked.

"Good point," Zara said. "I'll just come, I can cancel my plans."

"Can I come too?" Rosette asked.

"Sure," Kari said.

Zach walked in.

"Okay guys, I'm thinking about getting a new haircut," Zach said. "I just feel like there's a lot of change that's been happening recently, and I feel like my hair needs to reflect that."

"Why?" Zara asked.

"I just don't want to keep the hair I have," Zach said. "I mean, why not?"

They got a message about a monster attack.

The rangers marched into the battle, cutting through a field of invading Gel-Bats commanded by Steljax.

The four of them kept shooting at the foot soldiers, and him. Rosette summoned her daggers, shooting webs from them.

"You'll…never…compromise…me," Steljax said.

The rangers took out the surrounding Gel-Bats. Stel swung his sword, slicing Kari's arm, de-morphing her, before he teleported away.

A group of bystanders started watching, observing the defeat that had just taken place.

Kari remorphed before anyone could see her face, and then the rangers retreated.

"Why do you think he left?" Zach asked, as they kept walking.

"Maybe he thought he won the fight," Kari said, clothing her arm.

"But why wouldn't he take us out for good?" Rosette asked.

"That was what we could call a public failure," Kari said. "If we're lucky, it won't blow out of proportion We're not lucky people. It might blow out of proportion."

"What do we do?" Rosette asked.

"Make sure we're careful about how we spin the story," Kari said.

"It wasn't a big deal, he just cut your arm," Zara said. "What matters right now is that you're okay."

"I am okay," Kari said. "But they don't know that. We need to make a public appearance, do some PR. PR as in public relations, not power rangers. And I need to make sure people in real life don't know my arm is injured, people can't see the correlation. Hopefully I can give the impression to people that my arm as a power ranger isn't hurt, but we need to air on the side of caution."

* * *

><p>Chris and Lady V watched the battle from the river, seeing the events replayed in the water, with such clarity it could seem like they were right up to where it was taking place.<p>

Steljax emerged from the pool after teleporting away from the fight.

"Was that what I thought it was?" Chris asked. "Did we hurt someone?"

"Yeah, was that bad?" Stel asked.

"Well, I mean, I'm not sure I'm into the idea, especially since the 'highly qualified strike team' sent against us is a group of teenage girls, but they are the highly qualified strike team, and they were sent by the government to stop us from starting our revolution, so all in all it a very good thing," Chris said. "High five."

Stel high-fived Chris and Lady V, and then the two of them high-fived each other.

"I'll call my brothers to tell them about this," Chris said.

* * *

><p>The four of them were sitting back at Zara's house, Kari bandaging her arm.<p>

"Maybe I should just wear a jacket," she said.

"The weather's getting warmer though," Zach said.

"I don't think people will be that suspicious if they see someone in a jacket," Kari said.

"You wanted to be cautious," Rosette said.

"Within reason," Zara said. "We shouldn't get too paranoid about this, Kari's probably going to heal pretty soon."

"You know, our new suits would be able to withstand it," Zach said.

"What are you saying?" Zara asked.

"Maybe we should be powered up all the time," Zach said.

"Oh, and the fundraiser is today too," Kari sighed.

"Do you want to delay?" Zach asked.

"No way," Kari said. "We're doing this."

* * *

><p>Rosette left to go on her date with Saulie.<p>

"Sorry I'm late," she said, meeting Saulie outside her house.

"I heard about Kari, is she going to be okay?" Saulie asked.

"She's going to be fine," Rosette said, holding her hand as the two kept waking. "It was a minor injury, we're just afraid the people who saw are going to get nervous."

"I don't think I could ever do your job," Saulie said. "I'd probably quit."

"Zara and Kari quit, at first," Rosette said.

"But you didn't?" she asked.

"I was too afraid to quit," she said. "They were too afraid to keep going."

* * *

><p>Zach walked from Zara's house to his house five feet away, his mothers, Christie and Anna, siting on the sofa, sorting through mail.<p>

"I'm going to Kari's fundraiser later," he said.

"Fundraiser?" Christie asked.

"Yeah," he said. "For her charity. A bunch of people donated money, actually, so that's cool."

"Can we make a donation?" Anna asked.

"Sure," Zach said.

* * *

><p>"We're all on the same page now, we just kind of love it. When we don't get hurt. And even then. I'm probably not explaining it very well," Rosette said.<p>

"I think I get it," Saulie said, sitting down on one of the steps by the house. "But besides that, how's your life going."

"Pretty good," Rosette said, sitting down next to her. "I'm working on a new set of songs."

"Can I hear them?" Saulie said.

"I don't really have anything right now," Rosette sighed. "Writer's block."

"When I get writers block, I usually try to read more," Saulie said. "Sometimes it helps to sit and force myself to write, but other times I just sort of try to be active, and let it come to me."

"I'm going to Kari's fundraiser thing later," Rosette said.

"Oh, can I come with?" Saulie asked.

"Sure," Rosette said.

* * *

><p><strong>A New Moon Is On The Rise<strong>

Thank you for reading this chapter! Also, as always, if you have questions or comments, you can send them to my account here or to my tumblr account. I also want to have more drawings up, so look out for that! In terms of my writing, I really want to be honest to the characters and how they progress. I think it makes sense to show the ways rangerdom factors into the lives of the characters which I think the show does so well. At it's best, power rangers is a show about a diverse group people trying to be good people and make good choices, and I really want to reflect that.

Also, I'm planning on introducing another ranger to the team, **Ranger Number 5!** I'm still accepting requests at this point, so please submit a character if you want to!

Here's the form:

**First Name:**

**Age:**

**Birthday:**

**Appearance:**

**Ranger Color**

**Zord:**

**Personality: **

**Skills/Hobbies: **

**Family: **

**Extra Info:**


	17. Team

**Team**

"How's your plan to get Mark expelled going," Saulie asked Zara as they walked down the hallway at school.

"Not well, considering he's still here," she sighed. "I'm not even sure they looked at my letter."

"Have you talked to him at all?" Saulie asked.

"No," she sighed. "And I saw him picking on someone else earlier today. I don't know if he was trying to hit on her or just trying to make her suffer but I get sick thinking about it either way."

"Do you know who is was?" Saulie asked.

"I don't know her name," Zara said. "I know she had red hair, and she was wearing glasses."

Zara saw the girl walking down the hallway and followed her. Zara looked at the girl; she was shorter and thinner than she was.

"Hi, I'm Zara, are you okay?" Zara asked.

She didn't respond.

"Don't worry about that guy, I dated him, I know what a jerk he is," Zara said.

The girl kept walking. Zara followed her.

"I saw him picking on you, and my advice would be to stay as far away from him as possible, which…isn't much now that I think about it but I'm looking to change that," Zara said.

"Oh, I'm sorry, did you say something?" the girl asked, removing one of her headphones and tilting her head to the side. "Sometimes I space out when I'm listening to music."

"I was just saying don't worry about…that guy," Zara said.

"Oh, okay, thank you, I guess," she said, before putting her headphone back in. She looked down at her phone, then up at Zara. "I'm Eliza, by the way," she said loudly. She walked away.

* * *

><p>"I've noticed I can make other things invisible too," Zach said as he turned to Marnie as she was entering the shop. He turned around, turning the table behind him visible again.<p>

"You create a force field around anything you turn invisible," Marnie explained. "You can control the field around yourself better, that's why you can hold it for longer."

"Hasn't been that useful so far," Zach sighed.

"It will be," Marnie said before going back to work.

* * *

><p>Kari was walking home from tennis practice, when a group of Gel-Bats surrounded her, accompanied by a group of actual bats.<p>

She pulled out her phone as she flipped out of their way, calling Rosette, Zach and Zara before starting to work through them. She looked up and down, counting the number, and recounting, as she continued stepping out of the way, fighting on the fringes and beginning to work through them quicker.

Zara, Rosette and Zach arrived, shooting at the Gel-Bats, who quickly knocked their guns out of the way, the bats flying in their faces but otherwise not a problem. They cleared through the Gel-Bats and de-morphed.

"So what do we do with the bats?" Zara asked.

* * *

><p>Rosette and Kari were talking in Rosette's room, Kari sorting through her bag as Rosette stared blankly at her computer screen.<p>

"I really just want to keep working on these songs," Rosette sighed.

"You really need to finish that history assignment," Kari said.

"I know, I will," Rosette sighed. "You want to stay and talk while I do?" she asked.

"Sorry, I can't stay," Kari said. "I've got a date."

"Oh, nice," Rosette said. "Good luck."

Kari got up and walked out the door.

* * *

><p>Kari and Jevon sat, eating a pizza, leaning against a small fountain in the park.<p>

"What time is it now?" Jevon asked.

"Almost five," Kari said, as she filled out the personality test. "Would you describe yourself as easy going?"

"Uh, yeah," Jevon said. "Why are we doing this?"

"So we can see what TV characters we're most like," Kari said.

"Hey guys," Tyler said as he sat dow next to the two of them.

"How's it going?" Jevon asked as he turned to Tyler.

"Did you hear the news about Spider-Man?" Tyler asked.

"What's happening now?" Jevon asked.

Kari glanced at her phone, just across her and on the fountain. Tyler handed it to her.

She looked at it, seeing she was getting told about an attack.

Kari ran over to the other side of the park, as the fight was already in progress, the four of them struggling against the Gel-Bats.

The four of them morphed, powering up, before continuing to take the Gel-Bats head on.

The rangers noticed how many they'd taken out, only one left. The one remaining went after Zach, him trying to block it with his gun. The Gel-Bat bit into his suit, Zach de-morphing. He shook the Gel-Bat off, shooting it.

"That's what you get," Zara said.

* * *

><p>Veramax walked through the base entrance. He looked at the wall, paying closer attention than usual. He scanned the entire place with his eyes, sighing distastefully. He made his way to Lady V's room, stopping for a second to look at his reflection in the mirror by her door. He fixed his hair, or tried to, at least, before entering.<p>

"I noticed you've been working harder lately," Veramax said as he approached Lady Vampir.

"I really just kind of want this thing to be over," she sighed.

"Really?" Veramax asked.

"And you don't?" Lady V asked. "You just want to keep trying forever."

"I just…I mean yeah, I want us to accomplish our goals, but I'm actually kind of enjoying the four of us…working together," he said.

"The four of us?" Lady V asked,

"Yeah, the team," Veramax said. "I haven't known the team for long, but I love the team's work ethic. And I love the way the team operates."

"Yeah, it's a good team," Lady V said. "I love how passionate it is about things, and how far it's come, or, at least, trying to come."

"And I love the team's dress sense, and the way the team teases my brother," Veramax said as he leant closer to her. "And I want to stay with the team as long as possible."

"Hopefully, y— — the team, will still be here," Lady V said, turning her head to him.

"Hopefully," Veramax said, kissing her.


	18. Hamilton

**Hamilton**

Zara, Rosette, Kari and Zach were headed to school.

"I haven't seen you around that much," Zara said to Zach.

"Well, uh, I've been working on my impressions," Zach said. "You know how it gets."

"You do impressions?" Kari asked, turning to him.

"I had a free afternoon," Zach said. "I was working on my Gollum, and that evolved into me watching the Lord of the Rings trilogy again."

"Did you watch the extended additions?" Zara asked.

"Yeah," Zach said.

"How good of an impressionist are you?" Rosette asked.

"I think I'm pretty good," Zach said. "I'm thinking about moving to the next level."

"Which is?" Kari asked.

"Ventriloquism," Zach said.

Eliza stared at them. She made a step forward, towards them, before titling her head slightly. She started biting her nails as they walked further away.

"I don't think I'd be able to watch an entire trilogy of films in one go," she heard Kari say.

Eliza put on her headphones and walked away in the other direction.

* * *

><p>Zara walked out of History Class, going to her locker to check her phone, and seeing Eliza walking down the hall. Zara walked up to Rosette.<p>

"Have you met Eliza?" she asked her.

"No," Rosette said.

"I'm gonna talk to her," Zara said.

Eliza made her way to one of the outdoor lunch tables, a wooden table close to falling over. She sat down and pulled out her Trigonometry homework out of her binder, starting to work on it.

Zara walked up to Eliza, sitting down across from her and looking her in the eye.

"Hey…hey," Zara said.

"Hey," Eliza said, looking up at her. "Hi."

Zara sighed, her eyes scanning Eliza, her red hair, her yellow blouse, her expression.

"So…where are you from?" Zara asked.

"I'm fairly local," Eliza said. "I've been around."

* * *

><p>Rosette stumbled into class moments before the teacher, making her way to her desk, panting. Kari turned to Rosette. "Are you okay?"<p>

"I'm just out of breath," Rosette whispered. "I just had to cross country, which is on the other side of school, and then I had to run here."

"I thought you didn't like cross country," Kari said.

"I have to have a sport to get my PE grade up, and cross country is the only one that's bearable," Rosette said. "But I looked at my schedule and I always have creative writing after cross country."

"You know, if your secret identities were public that could probably be a PE credit," Kari said. "You know, it's physical. And we're saving all their lives."

"I wish," Rosette sighed.

Ms. Sorenson walked to the whiteboard and wrote the word 'Important.'

"A lot of writers find the advice they're given doesn't apply to them," Ms. Sorenson said. "It's important to remember that while there are rules to writing, a lot of it is very individual, and a lot of time there are no wrong or right ways to go about the process."

She started walking around the room, continuing to talk about her process and personal experiences, Kari writing notes down.

"One piece of advice I think everyone should take to mind," she said. "Don't default to male when writing characters. I see a lot of writers of all genders do this, especially with minor characters, and it, it's something you should look out for."

Thirty five minutes later, the bell rang and class ended. Kari looked down at her notebook. She checked and saw she had six full pages of notes, which was about her average. She got up, walking out of class with Rosette.

"Do you have plans for tonight?" Rosette asked.

"Jevon, Tyler and I are seeing that new documentary," Kari said. "How about you?"

"Well, Saulie and I are going to a comedy club opening," Rosette said, bumping into Eliza.

"Oh, sorry," Rosette said.

"Sorry," Eliza said.

"It's okay," Rosette said.

Eliza walked away to go to her locker. Rosette and Kari stopped at the water fountain.

* * *

><p>Eliza made her way home, her father not home yet. There were small pieces of broken glass on the floor, in a sort of trail, leading to her fathers' office, which was usually off limits. The door, usually closed, was opened.<p>

Eliza stood there for a few moments, before marching into the room and checking all the furniture. Everything was intact, although a new items, a glass case with a trinket inside, lay there. The trinket, it resembled a small, yellow, bejeweled smartphone, glowed. Eliza's eyes glowed alongside.

Eliza sighed, turning away, but the trinket flew out of the case and onto her hand. She read the words on the side - Yellow Ranger Morpher.

"It's bonded to me," Eliza sighed, her mind being filled with the information behind it's creation, how it programmed to bond with a good person, how none of its creators really fit that description.

She went through the details in her mind. Her father was the CEO of an electronics company. She didn't know exactly what went on there, but she'd assumed it wasn't this. She considered her father a good person, although with his heart condition probably not ranger material. In a way it all made sense.

* * *

><p><em>Author's Note,<em>

_I'm excited about what I have planned next. I'm still setting up this story arc, but I like where it's gone so far!_

_I've also added an extra scene to this chapter, the show where the development of Veramax and Lady Vampir's relationship has led. I wanted to give more insight into the characters, like I did in the past few chapters, and their relationship just sort of came about. I think I brought it to a close in the last chapter and I won't focus on it as much._

_I'm interested to see what you think about that._

_Now, without further ado, here we go..._

* * *

><p>"How did you meet Chris?" Veramax asked as he and Lady V walked down the street.<p>

"At a conference two years ago," Lady V said. "Steljax already knew him from a raid in Russia a few years earlier, so he introduced us. I didn't really know him that well until I started working with him, though."

"What do you think's going to happen now?" Veramax asked. "Once this all ends."

"I'm starting to think that good will win no matter what and we'd just be better quitting and eloping," Lady V sighed.

"Really?" Veramax asked.

Lady V burst out laughing. "No," she said. "We're awesome. We're totally gonna win this." Veramax started laughing with her.

"I've heard…I've heard a lot about other non-people trying to take over Earth in the past years," Veramax said.

"Don't worry, we're the exception to the rule," she said, taking Veramax by the arm.


	19. Army Feet

**Army Feet**

Kari yawned, her eyes close to open. She slowly started getting up, feeling her pillow against her face. She noticed her breathing getting harder. One of her pillows was below her, the other above her, as if being pushed onto her face.

She tried to get free of it, feeling another figure out to get her, attacking her. She sighed, getting her face free. She looked up to see a Gel-Bat. The Gel-Bat was there, hanging over her. She looked across from her, another Gel-Bat entering through her window. She gasped. She did a flip kick, knocking down one of the Gel-Bats. The rest started falling into her window, getting ready to strike.

She went through them, fighting them off. She ran over to her morpher on the other side of the room, morphing. She took out a gun, shooting down all the remaining Gel-Bats, gel getting everywhere on her aquamarine floor and silver wallpaper.

* * *

><p>Zach looked down at his almost full cup of black coffee, then at his watch on his other hands. He was almost a minute early to class. He dropped his coffee in the trash, dropping his hands to the side. He kept looking down, his focus now on his feet.<p>

He looked up and took hold of the knob, turning it. He opened the door to see a face, the face of a bear. He stepped in further, as if to check he was seeing what he thought he was seeing. The bear growled, running up at him to attack him. Zach took hold of the bear, using minimal force to bring it down to the ground.

"Did Chris send you," he asked softly as if the bear could hear him.

"Shhh," he said to her. "It's okay."

Mr. Nelson walked up to the classroom to see the fight taking place. A few more students happened upon the classroom, some to go to the class, some passing by. Mona seeing the situation, walked over to and pulled the fire alarm, and also pulled out her phone.

"It's going to be okay," Zach whispered to the bear. "It's okay."

Mona started dialing the number. "Hello, I'd like to call about a bear in a classroom. Huh? Oh yeah, I can give you the address."

* * *

><p>Rosette and Saulie smiled together as they approached the diner, a Gel-Bat lurking behind them. Rosette turned to kick it, the Gel-Bat producing a knife that came out of it's hand and slicing her. Rosette kicked it again. The Gel-Bat backed away, shooting the knife at Saulie's foot, grazing it. Rosette punched the Gel-Bat, eliminating it for good.<p>

Saulie held onto her knee, eyeing Rosetta everything she looked at it.

"I think I have band-aid," Rosetta said.

"That's okay," Saulie sighed.

Rosette started digging through her bag, Saulie's eyes widening.

Rosette found a band aid in her purse buried amidst tissues and ironically purchased CD's.

"Here you go love," Rosette said, handing the band aid to Saulie.

Saulie sighed, picking it up and moving it up to her.

"Is it large enough?" she wondered.

"Should be," Rosette said.

* * *

><p>The rangers received an alert that there was an attack in the park and arrived on the scene to see a squad of Gel-Bats gather, starting to cut through them. More kept being generated, closing in on them. A fifth ranger appeared, in yellow, flying up and shooting a the Gel-Bats with a cannon, taking some of them out. The Gel-Bats scrambled to regroup their formation to enclose this fifth ranger.<p>

She continued to cut through them, the other four rangers helping her.

"Wait a minute," Zach said as the battle continued. "One..two.. ..there's a fifth ranger!"

He punched out one of the Gel-Bats, but it got up. He kept hitting it, Zara and Kari helped him, but it didn't go down.

"This one's harder to take down than the other ones," he said.

"It's a slightly different color and shape too," Kari said. "It's even more advanced."

Zara activated her invisibility, trying and failing to defeat it using the element of surprise.

Zach clapped, trying to summon his invisibility field around the monster instead of himself, to try and squeeze the life out of it. It didn't take.

The Gel-Bat attacked him and he pounced on it.

"Why won't you go down?" he screamed as he punched it and it eventually exploded.

Rosette took out the remaining Gel-Bats as the yellow ranger ran away.

"Let's follow after them," Rosette said. Rosette and Zara ran after her.

Eliza demorphed, behind a tree staring at her morpher. Zara walked towards her, demorphing.

"It's okay," she said. "Join our team."

"I don't think you want me," Eliza said. "I'm gonna try and get this thing removed."

"Why?" Zara asked.

"Why should I be ranger?" Eliza asked. "Can't I just give it to someone else?"

"I've been watching you, and you're great, you're gonna rock this," Zara said. "We could use someone with your spirit."

"I'll see what I can do," Eliza said, walking away.

* * *

><p><strong>Authors Notes<strong>

Someone asked me a question last time so I want to address it here:  
>Eliza is an OC. She wasn't in the show, someone submitted her to me to be in my story. I got a lot of responses, some from users via reviews, some via private messages, some by other means.<p>

I'm really excited to write about Eliza. I hope you're excited to read about her! And the other rangers of course!


	20. Plugging In

**Plugging In  
><strong>

Zara walked along the street, seeing Eliza across the street, at the gas station. She looked at the fruit basket in her hands, the one she'd gathered to give to her later.

"Hi," Zara said. "I got you a gift basket," she said, holding up. "It's mostly fruit."

"Is this to get me on the team?" Eliza asked.

"It's to let you know you're welcome," Zara said. "Zach and Kari picked most of these out, and Rosette let me borrow the basket. Uh, you'll have to give it back to her when you're done with it."

"Zach, Rosette and Kari, those are the other members of the team?" Eliza asked.

"Yeah," Zara said.

Eliza looked at the fruit basket. "Okay," she said. "I'll see you at school, so I guess we'll talk then."

"Yeah, cool," Zara said.

* * *

><p>The Next Day - School<p>

* * *

><p>Zach walked up to Kari and Rosette, handing a stack of purple notebooks to Kari.<p>

"Those are your notebooks, right?" Zack asked.

"Yeah, those are my physics ones, where were they?" she asked.

"On a lunch table," Zach said. "Are all those really for physics?"

"Yeah," Kari said, sorting through them. "I guess I take a lot of notes."

"What class are you coming from?" Zach asked.

"I had track," Rosette said. "And then I had to run to Creative Writing. On the other side of the school."

"Not a great class to end the day on," Zach said. "You have Ms. Coata, right?"

"No, Ms. Sorenson," Kari said.

"Oh good for you," Zach said.

"What's wrong with Ms. Coata?" Rosette asked.

"She despises teaching," Zach said. "That or she just doesn't care, but either way, I learnt nothing from her. Maybe it was just me though."

"I wonder what Eliza's like," Rosette said.

"I guess we're going to find out soon enough," Kari said, looking at her watch.

. . .

"Hey Zara," Eliza said, walking up to Zara at her locker.

"Hey, I've been looking for you all day," Zara said. "The four of us were about to leave, just have, like, a team meeting, do you want to join us?"

"Well, I have a guitar lesson later, I guess I could go with you until then," Eliza said.

"Okay then, great," Zara sighed. "So, you're officially a part of the team?"

"I guess," Eliza said.

"Perfect," Zara said.

The four of them made their way to Kari's aunt and uncle's house. Kari led them to her room, where they sat down.

"Do you think we should talk strategy?" Kari asked.

"Let's let Eliza introduce herself first," Rosette said.

"Hi," Eliza said, tensing up.

"So, Eliza, where did you go to school before this?" Zach asked.

"WMH," she said.

"That's close, right?" Kari asked.

"Yeah," Eliza said. "Only twenty minutes away walking, or ten by the bus."

"So, twenty minutes," Kari said.

"Basically," Eliza said, chuckling.

"So, like, do you still see your old friends?" Rosette asked.

"I don't have any friends," Eliza said. "So…strategy. What's our strategy."

"Well, reacting, right now," Kari said.

"Things are a bit tense, you could say," Zach said.

"Zach fought a bear," Rosette said.

"I didn't fight the bear," Zach said. "The bear was angry, it was sent to attack us, I calmed it down."

"I think I can handle this," Eliza sighed. "I think."

"We'll ease you into it," Zara said.

"And we'll introduce you to Mr. Reed and Ms. Atwell, they'll start your training," Zach said, placing his hand on her shoulder, and, shaking, removing it.

"Do you have any fight training already, you were pretty good in the fight," Kari said.

"Um, a bit, yeah," Eliza said.

"Cool," Kari said. "Cool."

"Oh, Rosette, I have your basket at my house, should I hand it to you tomorrow or—"

"You can keep it," Rosette said.

"Oh, okay," Eliza said.

"Oh I like your necklace by the way," Kari said, leaning in to see it closer.

"Oh, thanks," Eliza said.

* * *

><p>The Next Day...<p>

The five of them were walking in the park when the saw a pack of Gel-Bats approaching them.

"Come on guys, we've faced the worst of it, we can face this," Zach said. He pat Eliza on the shoulder, and then ran to the end of the line they were getting into.

The five of them stood in formation and then jumped out and started tackling the Gel-Bats. Slowly but surely they worked through the crowd. The rangers were left with only five Gel-Bats, as they got back in line, pulling out their guns, and shooting the one in front of them.

"Yay," Eliza said.

"You did great," Rosette said, walking up to Eliza and hugging her.

Zara walked up to the where the Gel-Bats were. "It was easier than usual," Zara said.

"Well there's five of us now," Kari said.

"Maybe that's it," Zara said. "The Gel-Bats were adapting to us, to fighting our team, and now, it's not just we have more power now, they're not used to dealing with more than four people. But they'll adapt eventually."

"At least we have some time before they catch up," Kari said.

"Let's train," Zach sighed, breathing heavily.

* * *

><p>"I think we should be trying more advanced stuff," Rosette said as she sat down on the training mat, bobbing her head back on forth.<p>

"Yeah, but, like, we're not doing a performance, we're saving the world, we just need to stick to what's simple and what works," Kari said, as she leaned against the wall, slowly sliding.

Zach, Eliza and Zara walked in, Eliza listening to music through her headphones.

"What are we talking about?" Zara asked.

"Rosette was thinking it would be 'fun' and 'cool' if we attempted more advanced 'moves' in our fighting," Kari sighed, using air quotes.

"Not just that," Rosette said. "If we're more flexible and more synchronized we'll be better fighters."

"True," Zach said.

Rosette stood up and walked towards Kari. "I mean, cutting through a crowd of Gel-Bats with basic moves works when there's not a lot of them, but if we're going against armies of Gel-Bats that adjust to our moves, we need to be more effective, more unpredictable, and more gutsy."

Rosette smiled at Kari, extending her hand to her. Kari took her hand and got up, smiling back.

"Let's get started," Zara said. Eliza removed her headphones and joined the rest of the team as they gathered on the mat.

"I think I should lead the practice today," Rosette said. "I'm the only one here with a background in gymnastics."

"Okay," Kari said. The rest of them nodded.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong>

**And there you have it! I hope you liked the chapter. As always, please comment, follow, tell me what you want to see!**

**Also, the tumblr accounts are inactive right now, but I might bring them back at some point!**


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